Aura Therapy
by kirbystarwarrior
Summary: After the events of All-Stars, Duncan and Gwen find themselves roped into taking group therapy sessions to restore their friendship, despite insisting they could do without it. However, as more times goes on, they learn things about their relationship and themselves that even they didn't know about.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Once again, Duncan was experiencing the familiar feeling of being barely conscious on the prison yard and spitting blood. Other prisoners were watching from the sidelines, cheering. "Ughhh..." It took some strength, but Duncan mannaged to stand up, albeit wobbling. "That all you got big man?"

Duncan's bald opponent smiled as he blocked a punch thrown by Duncan. He was far taller than Duncan, with a 5'o clock shadow. "You never learn cellie." He punched Duncan in the stomach, causing him to nearly gag. "I know you wanna look tough by beating up somebody in the yard, but maybe you should wait a few years before tangling with the big boys."

There's no way Duncan could blow this. This was his last chance to gain any form of respect in prison. "Yeah? Why wait a few years when I can take you down now Drew?!" Duncan immediately lifted his leg, striking his cell mate in a place Duncan himself has been hit far too many times.

"Ooooohhhhh!" All the observing prisoners sympathized with the man's pain.

"Not cool..." Duncan's opponent, Drew, weakly said.

Duncan immediately headbutted him in the nose before hammering him to the ground. "Oh yeah! Whose bad?! I'm bad!" Duncan stomped on Drew's head several times. Duncan took a few deep breaths before turning to the other prisoners and triumphantly raising his fist in the air. There was a silence before the prisoners cheered for Duncan.

"Drew didn't get up in time! Looks like you won Duncan!" A black prisoner with an afro cheered.

"Heh heh. It was about time that somebody took down the old man."

"You think you're a big shot?" Drew slowly rose up and grabbed Duncan by the shoulder. "You fight dirty, game show boy." He turned Duncan around. What Duncan saw wasn't a face of anger, but pride. "We did a good job raising ya!"

All the prisoners who were watching the fight gathered around Duncan, patting him on the back, ruffling his hair, or giving him high-fives. "You sure grew up over the months Duncan." The prisoner with an afro said.

"Congrats on your first prison fight win! Great going away gift huh?!" A short man with spiky brown hair said.

Drew laughed. "Man, I remember early on when you were my cell mate, you were pretty much begging me not to shiv ya."

Duncan laughed as well. "Yeah, well, looks like I'm top dog now!"

"Don't give yourself too much credit kid. You got 1 win. I got 54."

From the other side of the bars outside the prison, four people were watching, three clapping for Duncan's victory while one just looked annoyed. "I'm really happy for Duncan." Zoey said. "I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of stuff like this of course, but it's nice to see that he's been doing good in prison."

"Yeah. 'Nice.'" Gwen replied.

Mike, Cameron, and Zoey stopped clapping and turned to Gwen. "Umm...is everything fine? You wanted us to pay his bail you know." Mike said.

"No. You guys just decided that when somebody at a nature rally says she can 'read my aura', it means that she can speak for me."

"Look, I know that she can be a little weird, but she knows what she's talking about." Zoey insisted.

Gwen sighed. "Fine, whatever. She charges little, and it's going to the environment. That's the only reason I'm going along with this."

"I'm gonan miss all of you guys. " Duncan turned to his cell mate. "Drew. You taught me what it truly means to be a bad dude. Compared to the stuff you pulled, me blowing up McLean's mansion is child's play. You're my role model man."

Drew smiled. "Duncan, you're like the son I never sold."

Duncan turned to the prisoner with an afro. "Antoine. You bring a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Smooth Criminal.' You're the kind of guy who could be staring down about a hundred cops on a heist, and ask to send more to make things more fun."

Antoine chuckled. "Funny story. I actually did ask that back in '97. They should have listened too. Otherwise they'd have caught me way sooner than 2005."

Duncan turned to the dwarf prisoner. "And Tommy, from all the explosions you caused that you walked out from despite being caught in the middle of them, I'm pretty sure you're indestructible at this point. If you were ganged up on by 5 dudes, I know for a fact they'd pass out before they could make you give."

The dwarf smiled as he fist bumped Duncan. "You're alright kid. When I get outta here, I'll blow up any building you want, free of charge."

Duncan then turned to the rest of the prisoners. "I'm gonna miss you psycopaths!" Duncan and all the prisoners gathered for a group hug.

Cameron sniffled. "When you ignore the atrocities half of these guys committed, this is pretty touching."

A few moments later, Duncan broke off from his prison buddies and walked towards the fence that Zoey, Gwen, Mike, and Cameron were at the other side on. "So, I take it you guys really missed me, eh?"

"I mean, we weren't that close, but kinda." Zoey said.

"Welllll...I guess...?" Mike replied.

"Not to be rude, but we don't really know each other that well." Cameron stated.

"Not in the slightest." Gwen answered. These were all said simultaneously.

"But...you guys were willing to pay a ton of money to bail me out."

"Actually, your bail wasn't that big." Cameron said. "A lot of people don't like Chris, and you got a lot of pity after you nearly flew to the sun in the All-Stars finale, so your bail money was only about four or five hundred dollars."

"Not even a tenth of the reward money that Zoey and Mike got after All-Stars." Gwen added.

"...Oh. Ok then. I...guess I'll change out of these prison clothes and meet you out here with the guard then." Duncan awkwardly said. He walked away, beginning to wonder if he'd be happier in prison. At least people respected him here.

* * *

"So, if you guys weren't that upset about me being in prison, why'd you decide to bail me out?" Duncan asked. He was wearing his usual skull-shirt and blue shorts. The five of them were inside Mike's car. Mike was driving, Zoey was in the shotgun seat, while Duncan, Gwen, and Cameron were in the back, the latter being in the middle.

"Well, one reason is to thank you. If it weren't for you and Alejandro, I probably wouldn't have known about Mal." Zoey replied.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "One reason? What's the other one?"

Gwen sighed. "Because apparently, these guys think I want group therapy."

"...Yeaaahhhh, you guys can drop me off. My folks tried a ton of therapy on me to try to trick me into thinking it wasn't cool to do crime. Spoilers. Never worked."

"Come on, we're already almost there. You might as well give it a shot." Mike said.

"Besides, I can guarantee she won't be like other therapists you went to." Cameron added.

A few minutes later, Mike stopped the car. "Alright, we're here." Zoey said. The car was parked nearby a nature trail.

Duncan and Gwen got out of the car. "So, where's this special girl who does group counseling that you guys were talking about." Duncan asked.

"She's down the nature trail. We'll wait for you guys here. Gwen, text us when you're done."

Gwen walked down the path. The sooner she'd get this over with, the better. _'The money's going to the environment Gwen. You can stomach Duncan for a few lousy hours if it goes to a better cause.'_

"Hey Gwen, wait up!" Duncan quickly caught up with her. "Soooo...how was the season after I was gone?"

"Well, I got eliminated in a scavenger hunt challenge that I couldn't complete partially because YOU blew up Chris's mansion. So, thanks."

"Oh. Well...sorry."

"Look, save the talking for when we meet the girl Zoey was talking about."

A few minutes of walking later, they saw a circle of stumps. On one of those stumps was girl with long blonde hair and a green sweater meditating. Around her were several candles, many tea cups, and a tea kettle. A butterfly flew towards her, and landed on her hand. She held the butterfly up to her ear. "Yes? Oh, that's good to know." She let the butterfly fly away before she turned around. "Hello Gwen. I'm glad you decided to take up my offer."

"Yeah yeah."

"Umm...who are you?" Duncan asked.

"I am Dawn. I've been informed that you requested my aura reading abilities to help mend your broken bonds."

"...Yeah. Sure." Gwen said.

Dawn reached into her pocket and got out a clay bowl. "Please, donate your money to help Mother Earth."

"Yeah, I'd LOVE to do that sweetheart, but I'm kinda empty at the moment so I'll just be..." Duncan began to say

"I'll donate for the both of us." Gwen said. She walked up towards Dawn and put two 100 dollar bills inside the clay bowl.

"Mother Earth thanks you for your generosity." Dawn said.

"Great...our therapist is a hippy." Duncan sat down on one of the stumps.

"Oh, I'm not technically a therapist. But I can read your auras to know how you feel, and read the tea leaves to predict the future. With my abilities, I foresaw that you two needed my help, and with them, I shall have you two mend your bonds, just as your auras scream out." Dawn turned to Duncan. "In your case, you have two bonds you wish to reforge."

"Annnnndddd we're done here." Gwen turned around. "You can keep the money, but it's pretty clear this is just a bunch of spiritual nonsense."

Duncan stood up. "Yeah, sorry granola girl, but I don't think this is gonna do anything." He wouldn't deny that it would be cool for him and Gwen to be on good terms again, but 'hearing his aura scream out?' Let alone suggesting he actually wanted to make up with his other ex? This girl was obviously full of crap.

"Duncan, as a child you felt inferior to several of your relatives who were police officers, including your mom and dad, and part of the reason you became a delinquent was as a cry for attention. Another part of it is that you worry about disappointing people as an adult, so being a delinquent in the present will cause people to have low expectations of you, so you won't have to worry as much about disappointing them. Gwen, your desire to study art history in college isn't only out of interest, but also fear that you'll fail most other majors you have interest in, and you believe that art history will be easier to pass."

Duncan's eyes widened. Gwen stopped walking and turned around. "What the-?"

"Apologies if I delved too deep, but I suspected that if I mentioned anything involved with the show, you'd accuse me of only knowing about you two because of it. A person's aura can sometimes reveal information that even they don't know about, which explains why you didn't believe me in regards to you two desiring to mend your bonds. But fortelling parts about yourself that you two already know but haven't revealed in the show will hopefully serve as proof to you two."

Duncan and Gwen didn't really know what to do. It was clear to both of them that Dawn wasn't ENTIRELY full of crap. But if they decided to go through Dawn's therapy session, they'd basically be admitting their insecurities. "I...I mean you're wrong but..." Duncan slowly began to sit down on the stump. "I guess this might not be a total waste of time."

Gwen spent several seconds contemplating before she walked back, and sat on one of the stumps. She then took a deep breath. "Alright Dawn. Let's see what you can do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Duncan and Gwen were both a bit on edge. Literally seconds after coming to Dawn, she already found out about some of their insecurities. _'There's no way this aura reading stuff can be real. She must just be good at guessing or something.' _Duncan thought.

_'I can't lie, she hit the nail on the head for one of the reasons I'm trying to be an art student. Still, if she thinks my aura is saying I miss Duncan, there's no way it's completely accurate.'_

"Now, what do you believe led to your break up?" Dawn asked. She turned to Duncan. "You first."

Duncan shrugged. "Gotta be honest, not a clue. Like, maybe she thought I was going soft? Then again, she's still not cool with me even after I blew up Chris' mansion, so I dunno."

"Ugh. Figures your ego is too big to see what anybody else with eyes could." Gwen replied.

"Now Gwen, what's your answer?" Dawn asked.

"Easy. Ever since All-Stars, bad boy over here couldn't handle the fact that Courtney was over him, so he only saw me as a tool to make her jealous."

"Huh?!" Duncan reacted.

"I see. Duncan, do you have anything to say?" Dawn inquired.

"I don't know what she's talking about! I mean, yeah, I wanted Princess to be jealous not gonna lie, but I totally saw her for more than just a way to make Courtney jealous."

"Oh yeah, because writing off my feelings about trying to make things right with Courtney, constantly asking me if she mentioned anything about you, and kissing me at an elimination ceremony only to try and get Courtney to see it SURE shows you saw me for more than that." Gwen replied.

"I sense quite a lot of negative energy coming from you right now Gwen. How Duncan acted must have really upset you." Dawn stated.

"You don't need to be an aura reader to know that."

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there! I'm pretty sure you're leaving some details out there honey!" Duncan yelled to Gwen.

"I'm noticing some negative energy begin to build within you as well Duncan." Dawn stated.

"Uh, yeah! Because Gwen's convieniently leaving out all the times I tried to help her out that season!"

"Other than taking a leech for me, when?" Gwen asked.

"Um, how about trying to warn you and Court about Mal even after you dumped me for starters? But you two laughed it off. Or when I supported you in that stupid obstacle course even when were on different teams? Or how about all the times I asked if you were ok whenever I noticed you were being bummed out?"

"Oh, was this before or after you said 'She better not sulk the whole time, or I might as well be dating Courtney?' Yeah, don't think I didn't watch those confessionals."

"Oh, we're playing that game huh? Well don't think I can't play it too Ms 'I only came back because of Courtney.' That's right, prison let me watch a few episodes of Total Drama. Wanna know who I came back to the show for? You. But every time I tried to comfort you, you shut me out!"

"I shut you out because it was apparent that you didn't actually give a crap about how I felt!"

"Uh-huh. Oh I see! That's wonderful news!" Duncan and Gwen turned to Dawn, who seemed to be talking to two chipmunks. "I'm glad that you got everything sorted out. You may no longer be mates, but I wish you the best of luck with your friendship in the future little ones!"

The two chipmunks made a few appreciative noises towards Dawn before they hugged each other and scampered off. Dawn then turned back to Duncan and Gwen. "Sorry, I was busy with something else."

"...You know, it's kinda embarassing to know that wild animals are better at sorting out their differences than we are." Gwen said to Duncan.

"Yeah, I can agree with you on that." Duncan replied.

* * *

Mike adjusted the volume of the radio station in the car. Listening to music would be a good way to pass the time while waiting for Duncan and Gwen to get back. "So, how'd Dawn meet Gwen again?" He asked Zoey.

"Oh. Me and Gwen were volunteering at an event to raise awareness about pollution in Lake Huron. Turns out that Dawn was one of the people who organized the event." Zoey answered.

"And that's when she read Gwen's aura, right?" Cameron asked.

Zoey nodded. "She said something about her aura being a mix match of conflicting colors, and that she needed to get her feelings straightened out."

"And she immediately knew it was about Duncan? Whoa, she IS good." Mike said.

"Well...Gwen was kind of the reason she figured it had to do with Duncan specifically. First thing Gwen said when Dawn told her she sensed conflicting emotions was that she moved on from Duncan."

"You know, I have to admit, I reaaalllllyyy want to ask Dawn a few questions about her aura reading." Cameron said. "I never read anything like it before, so who knows all the things to learn from-" Cameron was interupted upon hearing the sound of clanking metal. "What's that?"

Mike looked at his rear view mirror and saw a tow truck behind him, it's cable attached to the back of his car. A man with a red mustache and a blue trucker hat was walking back to the tow truck. "Oh no. No no no no no no no." Mike quickly unbuckled himself and opened his door.

"What's wrong?" Zoey asked.

"Tow truck." Mike quickly answered. He got out of the car and ran towards the tow truck. "Hey hey hey! Why am I being towed!"

The man turned towards Mike. "You parked in a tow-away zone son."

"Wh-no I didn't!"

Cameron got out of Mike's car. "Um...Mike?" He pointed to a sign that was in a tree. Sure enough, it said 'Tow Away Zone.'

"How'd it get up there?" Zoey asked, getting out of the car as well.

"Hurricane Sandy. Believe me kids, you're not the only ones who didn't notice the sign because of it."

"Hurricane Sandy was back in 2012! Nobody put up a new sign?!" Cameron asked.

"Nope. Too much hassle. If you want, I can give you a ride to the impound lot for you to get your car back."

"Sorry, but would it be ok with you if we waited for a little while?" Zoey asked. "We're waiting for two of our friends to come back."

"Sorry ma'm. Got other vehicles to tow for reasons that may or may not be fair." The man gave Mike a slip of paper. "This is the address for the impound lot we'll be keepin' your car at. Later." The man entered his tow truck and drove off, Mike's car following it.

"Well...crap." Mike said.

* * *

"Now Duncan, at what point did you notice your relationship begin to crumble, even before the breakup?" Dawn asked. "We all know what Gwen's answer is."

"If this aura reading hocus pocus was real, wouldn't you know my answer anyway?"

"Not all the time. Some aspects of one's aura are easier to read than another's. But in this case I already know your answer, but progress is made when the answers come out from you. Not me relaying what I already know."

Duncan rolled his eyes. He should have figured Dawn was full of baloney. She must have gotten that other bit of info about him ahead of time. "Fine then, how about we say it at the same time? Helps your prove whether or not your nonsense is real."

"Alright then. On three. 1, 2, 3."

"Gwen was never paying any attention to me/you" Duncan and Dawn said simultaneously. Duncan widened his eyes in shock. "How did you-?"

"Please don't repeat questions I already gave the answer to. Now, did this neglect make you feel inadequate?"

"Like you're one to talk about neglect, Duncan." Gwen muttered.

It took a little while for Duncan to registser Dawn's question. This wanna be therapist was 2 for 2 on reading his mind. When Dawn cleared her throat, Duncan suddenly remembered to answer. "Pfft. No! It was just annoying that my-at the time-girlfriend was blanking me!"

"So you were ONLY bothered by Gwen ignoring you?" Dawn asked.

"Well, Courtney too, but that was different!"

"Yeah right. You still liked Courtney, and couldn't stand that she moved on from you." Gwen said.

Duncan glared at Gwen. "You're WAY off base there sweetheart. I just don't like being ignored."

"Oh, so it wasn't ONLY because Gwen was your girlfriend for why you were bothered by her neglecting you." Dawn said. "You inherently crave attention."

"Oh? And who are you, my mother?"

"You said you don't like being ignored. And considering how you were bothered by being ignored by Gwen, Courtney, even the other Villainous Vultures when they tried to manipulate Gwen instead of you."

"Well that's...I mean...the difference is..."

"I get it. So it's not that he liked Courtney, it's that he needed to validate his fragile ego." Gwen said. "Not too big a surprise thinking about it."

"Ah, forget this! Both of you can bite me!" Duncan yelled. He stood up from his stump, and began to walk away.

Gwen turned to Dawn. "Looks like your plan to 'mend our bonds' kinda backfired. Now Duncan hates me even more than I hate him."

"Actually, this is a huge amount of progress. Both of you now know that the other was feeling neglected during All-Stars. You two know the root of the problem, and in future session, we can work on fixing it."

"Yeaaahhh. No offense, but I don't think that's happening anytime soon. Like, I somewhat believe in this aura reading stuff you're talking about, as hard as it is to believe. But it's clear as day that me and Duncan want nothing to do with each other."

"I saw it in my tea leaves. You two will be coming back for more questions. And I can sense that both you and Duncan are incredibly curious."

Gwen didn't respond. Though this time, she wasn't entirely blowing off Dawn's words. Weirdo or not, Dawn can definitely read her and Duncan like books. She got out her phone and texted Zoey that she and Duncan are coming back. "Well if that ever happens, I'll be sure to let you-" As she put away her phone, she noticed that Dawn was already gone. "...know."

Gwen stood up. _'I gotta say, Zoey dealt with some WEIRD people her first time on Total Drama.' _Gwen walked up the nature trail. She saw Duncan ahead of her, but they kept their distance from each other. For some reason though, seeing Duncan didn't make her nearly as angry as it did half an hour ago. Maybe Dawn humiliating Duncan satisfied Gwen more than she thought.

Gwen velt a vibration in her pocket. She reached into it, and got out her phone. Zoey replied to her text. "Umm...Duncan?"

"Can it Sunshine. I don't wanna speak with you for the rest of the ride."

"There's not gonna BE a ride for a while." Gwen pointed out.

"Huh?" Upon exiting the nature trail, Duncan saw Cameron standing outside without a car. "What the!?" He walked up towards Cameron. "Um, what's going on!?"

"Yeahhhh, we kinda got towed." Cameron said. "We discussed what we would do for a while, and we finally decided that it would be best if Mike and Zoey went to the impound lot to get Mike's car back while I wait here for you guys. It'll take a while for them to get back, but don't worry. We can pass the time with a few word games! I never got to do them with actual people back when I was still in my bubble, and I only got the chance to do it with other people a couple of times after I left my bubble. This'll be fun!"

"...Couldn't you guys have just left me in prison?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Cameron, Gwen, and Duncan were all sitting on the curb while waiting for Mike and Zoey to come back, Duncan whittling a stick with his knife.

"My turn again. Let's see..." Cameron looked around the area. "Ok. I spy with my little eye something...big." Cameron said.

"Is it a tree?" Gwen asked half-heartedly.

"Nope."

"A mountain?"

"Nope."

Duncan stopped whittling the stick he was holding, and held it in front of him. It was a pretty nice looking make-shift spear. Prison gave him a ton of time to work on his whittling skills.

"How about you guess Duncan?" Cameron offered. "So far, only me and Gwen have been playing I Spy."

Duncan continued admiring his work. "Yeah, I think I had enough word games. Besides, kinda busy with my own stuff."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're so busy playing with that stick." Gwen said.

"It's not playing, Princess, it's called being prepared."

Gwen felt a prickle of annoyance. Duncan in general was an annoying person, but being called by the nicknames he used for Courtney rubbed her the wrong way. Was he seriously trying to put her on the same level of that bossy, selfish control freak? "Prepared for what?"

"Take it from a guy who has experience in prison. Anything can be more dangerous than you'd think at first. I didn't think I'd be afraid of a midget before. Then I saw Tommy nearly choke his cellmate to death with a broken shoelace over stolen food. So, if you two get attacked by an animal you think is harmless, I'll be there to save you two."

"That's really nice of you Dunc-" Cameron began to say.

"Hey Cam, was the big thing you had in mind Duncan's ego?" Gwen intterupted. "Because I gotta say, 'big' is a massive understatement."

"Umm..."

"Hey, how about I play after all? Is it...Gwen's unbearable sense of self-righteousness?" Duncan suggested.

"Neither of those things can be 'seen'." Cameron said.

"My bad. I should have said Duncan's _head _then." Gwen replied.

Duncan stood up. "Yeah? Well how about I use this big head of mine to break your nose?" Duncan threatened.

"That's right Duncan! The small thing I was looking at was Gwen's nose!" Cameron lied.

"...You said it was something big." Gwen pointed out.

"I said small. Anyway, now it's your turn Duncan!"

Duncan simply sat down and went back to whittling. Cameron sighed, and texted on his phone. _'When are Mike and Zoey getting here?' _He wondered. Even when he's off Total Drama, it looks like he can't escape being caught in drama. Cameron thought the word games might help Duncan and Gwen get along, at least slightly. But every game he tried for the past two hours either resulted in neither of them speaking with each other for most of the game, and then an argument breaking out by the end of it.

A little while afterwards, the three heard the sound of a car horn. They noticed Mike driving towards them in his car, Zoey being in the shotgun seat. "I spy something reacquired." Duncan smiled.

"Mike got his car back!" Cameron exclaimed.

Mike stopped his car, and rolled down his windows. "Hey guys! Would have gotten here sooner, but then it turned out the gas was empty, so me and Zoey had to push it to a nearby gas station."

Duncan, Cameron, and Gwen all entered the backseat of the car, Cameron getting in the middle. "Well, at least things worked out in the long run." Cameron said. He and Gwen put on their seat belts, while Duncan continued to whittle his makeshift spear.

"So Duncan, is your place far from here, or do you want us to pay for a ticket home?" Zoey asked.

Duncan stopped whittling. "Y-you'd do that?" Duncan asked.

"Of course! It wouldn't be right for you to be living on the streets."

"So, where do you live? If your home isn't too far from Windsor, we might just be able to drive you." Mike offered.

Duncan was stunned for a little while. He wasn't expecting people he barely knew to go this far to help him out.

"Umm...Duncan?" Zoey asked.

"Huh? Oh, right. I live in Kingston, so we sure ain't driving there. Not like it matters though."

"What do you mean 'not like it matters'?" Cameron asked.

"Something tells me my folks don't wanna see me. And I'd rather not see them either. Just drop me off at a motel or something."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Think about it. My bail was only a few hundred dollars. My parents would be able to afford that no sweat. But I was in jail for about 8 months. And whenever they wrote to me, the letters kept talking about how it was 'too expensive' for them to help me out."

Zoey, Mike, Cameron, and Gwen widened their eyes in realization. "Duncan...I'm so sorry to hear that." Zoey said.

"I appreciate the concern, but it's whatever to me. Like I said, drop me off at a motel and-"

"This isn't a minor thing!" Gwen yelled. "Putting up this bad boy act isn't worth being abandoned by your family!"

"Since when did you care about my well being? You're the one who mocked me when I got arrested."

"You think that just because I dislike you, I want you to live on the streets homeless? I'd only wish that on someone like Chris."

"Look, I'll bounce back. I'll be fine on my own. I'll find a job and-"

"Sorry, but where will you pay for the motel?" Zoey interupted.

"I'll...I'll get money from my job."

"So, you're saying that until you get enough payment from your job, you won't have anywhere to stay." Mike said.

"I'm tough enough to live on the street for a while."

"Ok. Let's say that's the case. How quick do you think you'll find a job? Because spoiler alert, a lot of places aren't going to want a guy whose spent more time in juvie than his own home." Gwen said.

"Gwen's right. Finding a job takes time." Cameron said.

Mike started to drive away from the nature trail. "Look Duncan, I noticed that you never brought up how we could lend you money for the motel, or that you could stay at one of our places for a while."

"Because I'm fine on my own." Duncan insisted.

"Then why do you need me to drive you?"

"Pfft. That's just to make things less of a hassle. I can still walk, it would just be more annoying."

"Look Duncan, getting help isn't anything to be ashamed of." Zoey said. "Gwen, Mike, and Cam all live here in Windsor. Maybe you could stay at one of their places until you make up with you family. Or until you can get your own place to stay at."

Duncan said nothing for a while. Finally he sighed. He hated to admit it, but they were right. "Fine." Duncan turned to Cameron. "Your place free?"

"Actually, no." Cameron answered. "Since I stayed in my bubble so often, my mom never felt the need to buy much for a house, and after all the money she spent on purified air over the years, she barely had enough money left to buy me a bed. She can't really afford a third person in the house."

"What about your place?" Duncan asked Zoey.

"Oh, I don't live in Windsor. I'm visiting Mike over Spring Break." Zoey answered.

"And it's been the best spring break yet." Mike smiled.

"Oh. Um..." Duncan began to say.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked.

"It's just that..."

"Oh, you're worried about Mal, right?" Mike asked. "Dont worry, he's long gone now."

"And Mike's parents are out of town, so there'll be enough room for you to stay." Zoey added.

"Oh. Well that's good to hear I guess." In all honesty, Duncan was still a little uncomfortable staying with Zoey and Mike. Being a third wheel was kind of annoying. But it seemed to be his best option.

"So, when are your parents coming back anyway? Kinda doubt they'd want to find out a felon is staying at their home."

"They'll be back next week. We'll try and get you a job and a place to stay at by then." Mike said.

"Worst case scenario, Duncan can stay at Gwen's place when they come back." Cameron suggested.

"_No. Way._" Duncan and Gwen replied simultaneously. They then glared at each other angrily.

"Umm..."

Not too long afterwards, Mike stopped at a somewhat small, green house. "Here's your place Cam."

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Mike!" Cameron quickly unbuckled himself. "Excuse me Gwen." Cameron stepped over Gwen and opened the door. "Have a nice night guys!" Cameron got out of the car and closed the door.

Mike and Zoey waved goodbye to Cameron before Mike continued driving. Duncan and Gwen continued to glare at each other. "I'd rather sleep in the streets then have to stay the night at your place." Duncan said.

"Good. Because I wouldn't let you stay at my place for all the money in the world."

"Says the girl who wanted to bail me out of jail so she could make up with me."

"I didn't want that! That's just what Dawn thought!"

"Oh, so you'll believe whatever Dawn says when it comes to my 'aura', but go in denial when it's about yours? Pft. Predictable."

"What's predictable is that bailing you out was a waste of time, and just got Mike and Zoey a useless freeloader for Spring Break."

"ENOUGH!" Zoey screamed. Mike hit the brake pedal and his car screeched to a halt. He wasn't gonna risk steering out of control and crashing after he just got his car back. Due to not wearing a seat belt, Duncan lunged forward, and hit his face on the back of Mike's chair. "Owww..." Duncan rubbed his eye in pain.

"Oh, sorry for startling you Mike." Zoey then tunred to Gwen and Duncan. "But not to you two! Oh, sorry, that came off as too mean. Especially since you hurt your eye Duncan. But still, you two have been at each other's throats ever since you came back from that session with Dawn."

"How would you even know about that? You weren't even there." Duncan pointed out.

Zoey got out her phone. "Cam was texting me while he was waiting for me and Mike. You two have been freaking him out for hours."

" 'Duncan threatened to attack Gwen. Things are going really badly' from 15 minutes ago. 'Gwen and Ducan have been rubbing failed relationships in each other's faces. So much for Never Have I Ever' from 37 minutes ago. '20 questions doesn't work so well when Duncan and Gwen either refuse to ask questions to each other, or just hurl insults at each other' from an hour ago." Duncan read.

"Look, maybe you guys are right. Maybe Dawn misread your auras. But it's only been a few hours since you guys came back from meeting with her, and your arguing's already driving us crazy!"

Duncan and Gwen both widened their eyes. Gwen said nothing for a while before sighing. "You're right. Sorry Zoey. It's not fair for you guys to get dragged into this."

Duncan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah...what she said I guess."

"Look, it's been a long day for all of us. Let's just take Gwen home, and then Duncan can crash at my place for a week. We'll figure the rest out from there." Mike said.

All four of them heard the sound of a car horn. "Come on, move it!" A driver angrilly yelled from behind them.

"Better keep going Mike. We don't want you to lose your car twice in one day." Zoey said.

Mike hit the gas pedal again, and continued to drive. Several minutes of silence went by. Throughout the ride, Duncan was lost in thought. What was with him tonight? A few hours ago, he thought seeing Gwen again would be the coolest thing to do after getting out of prison. Now he was arguing with her even more than he did with Courtney. He had to admit, it kinda sucked to be on bad terms with Gwen. Girlfriend or simply a friend, she was a really cool person. Witty, independent, and she shares a bunch of Duncan's interests. But Gwen constantly overlooking everything he's done for her annoyed him to no end. She dumped him for paying more attention to Courtney than her, but convieniently overlooked how she's not exactly innocent in that department either.

In fact, the more he thought about it, Miss CIT was a major reason why he and Gwen were on bad terms recently. The reason Gwen dumped Duncan was because he was trying to get Courtney to start paying attention to him again. And the reason why Gwen was blanking him back in All Stars was because she was busy trying to make up with Courtney. Granted, neither of those things were Courtney's fault directly as much as he hated to admit it, but Duncan and Gwen wouldn't have acted the way they did in All Stars if it weren't for her.

_"In your case, you have two bonds you wish to reforge." _He remembered that hippy girl saying that, and Duncan was certain she was talking about Courtney without a second thought. He'd never admit it out loud, but Dawn was right that he still wanted to make things right with Gwen. So maybe he did want to make things right with Courtney. He didn't know why he'd miss a pain in the butt like her, but Dawn was right with her readings so far. Sure she was a bossy, stuck up, control freak...but that's half the reason he fell for her to begin with.

Eventially, Mike stopped at a dark blue house. "This is my stop." Gwen unbuckled herself and opened the door. "Zoey, Mike, see you around."

"Have a nice night Gwen." Zoey said.

Gwen was about to close the door, but Duncan stretched his arm out to keep it open. "Umm...what are you doing Duncan?"

Duncan took a deep breath. "Hey...wanna bring Courtney along for another session?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Duncan kicked a can in annoyance on the way back to Mike's house. "Baskin-Robbins can suck it. I don't have a future my ass." He spent all morning searching for jobs, to no avail. Evidently, being a reality tv star isn't enough to outweigh a massive criminal record when trying to apply for a job. "Well, guess I'll just watch TV or something. This bites though. If I don't get a job before Mike's parents get here, I'm gonna have to ask to crash at Gwen's place. Maybe I can search for a job online or something."

Duncan heard a ringing in his pocket. He reached into it and got out his phone. "It's Geoff." Duncan answered the call, and put it on his ear.

"Duncan, bro! I heard that you got out of the slammer!"

"Yeah. Got bailed out yesterday by some of those Season 4 contestants."

"Sweet! So how about we celebrate your freedom? I'll be hosting a party and invite everybody from Total Drama!"

"Ehh...I think you can put a rain check on that. Not exactly in the mood to party."

To Geoff, if somebody wasn't in the mood to party, they must have been feeling really down. "What's wrong man?"

"Well, let's say that my folks don't exactly want me around anymore."

"Whoa. I'm...sorry to hear that bro. If you need a place to crash, I can-"

"Geoff, you have four brothers. There's no way your parents are gonna want to deal with a sixth mouth to feed."

Geoff sighed over the phone. "You sure you'll be alright man? How about a party to cheer you up? Or I could hit up DJ and the three of us could just hang out."

"I don't need pity Geoff. I'll bounce back. THEN we can party."

"Well...alright man. Catch ya later bro."

Duncan hung up and kept walking. It was cool of Geoff to check up on Duncan and all, but at the moment, Duncan really wasn't in the mood to hang out with anybody.

"OMG, is that Duncan?" Duncan tilted his head, and noticed two teenage girls gosipping about him.

"He got let out of prison. Gasp. Does that mean he can make things up with Gwen now?"

"What are you talking about? He was like, SO better off with Courtney."

Duncan groaned. While all contestants of the show dealt with fans obsessing over their personal lives, Duncan swore he got it the worst. Well, maybe second worst. Cody did have Sierra to deal with after all. Even still, day and night after Action and World Tour, fans kept getting up in his business about who he should be dating, Gwen or Courtney. He noticed when he was trying to get a job at the mall, a couple fans even talked about him getting together with Zoey for whatever reason. Duncan was fine with being talked about by fans and all, but he'd prefer it if they focused on how cool he is. Not his relationships.

Eventually, he made it to Mike's house, walking up to the door. Duncan noticed that the car was gone, and sighed. "Great. They couldn't have told me they were leaving? They better have left the door unlocked.

Duncan tried to open the door, but it was locked. He then rang the doorbell. _'It better only have been one of them who left, or I'm so breaking in.' _

Luckilly, the door opened, revealing Zoey. "Oh, welcome back Duncan! How did job hunting go?"

"It blew. Everyone's waving around me blowing up McLean's dumb mansion, so I can't get a job."

Zoey put a hand on Duncan's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that Duncan."

"Thanks. So, where's your boyfriend? I noticed his car was gone."

"He's...picking somebody up." Zoey answered.

Duncan shrugged, and entered the house. "Anyway, I'm gonna watch TV for a while. It cool if I use your laptop in a few hours though to look for jobs?"

"Totally! If you need me, I'll be in the guest room." Zoey heaed upstairs, and Duncan sat down on the couch and turned on the tv, flipping through channels randomly. Duncan eventually stopped flipping channels as soon as he saw that one of his favorite movies was playing, _Alien Chunks. _

"Sweet. Missed some of it, but this is a good way to kill time." Duncan relaxed, getting ready to enjoy the action pack splatter fest.

"I'm gonna blend up those no good aliens and have them for breakfast!" One of the heroes yelled.

Duncan's happiness fell like a rock. Usually, this would get him pumped up. It was leading to one of the best scenes in the movie, where the heroes blended up aliens into fruity drinks. He didn't need a therapist to know why though. This movie was Gwen's favorite alien movie too. And this specific part was her favorite scene in the film.

_'Wish Gwen decided to accept it. Would have given me something to do today.' _He thought to himself.

* * *

_"Are you kidding?" Gwen asked. "Ever since the session with Dawn, you've done nothing but mock and threaten me, and you think I want to have another one with both you AND Courtney?"_

_Duncan wanted to point out Gwen's did just as much mocking as he did, but bit his tongue. "Look, I'm just saying that getting things straightened out with Courtney might help. She was my girlfriend, she was your friend. Maybe granoloa girl can do her aura mumbo jumbo and make things right."_

_"Well forget it! __You and Courtney are two of the worst things that EVER happened to me on Total Drama!"_

_"Gwen, maybe he's got a-" Zoey began to say._

_"Good-NIGHT!" Gwen slammed the car door and stormed back into her house._

* * *

For most of yesterday, Duncan was just confused or angry at Gwen. But that moment actually made him sad, not like he'd ever say it out loud though. Duncan sighed and turned off the tv. _'Maybe I'll take up Geoff's offer to hang with him and DJ after all.' _

Not too long after thinking this, Duncan heard a car coming into the driveway. "Guess Mike's back. Who was he picking up anyway?" Duncan stood up, and walked towards the door, opening it up. "Hey Mike. Job searching didn't go too hot, so I'll probably try again tom-" Duncan stopped as he saw the girl next to Mike.

"Duncan." Courtney sternly said. She was frowning, but was calm overall.

"You wanted to bring her to Dawn for a session, so me and Zoey decided to let her know. She was pretty okay with it." Mike explained.

Duncan immediately closed and locked the door. "Wha-Duncan! YOU'RE the reason I'm here!" Courtney shouted from outside the door.

"You also can't exactly lock me out of my own house. I have the key to it you know." Mike got out the key from his pocket. Duncan immediately unlocked and opened the door, grabbed Mike's key, and closed it again, locking it.

"Are you serious?!" Courtney yelled at Mike. She turned to the door and started banging it. "DUNCAN! OPEN UP!

Duncan didn't respond. He was too busy with the thoughts rushing through his head at a hundred miles per second. Why did Courtney agree with this? Did Mike and Zoey offer her something? Did they say Duncan would give her something? What was Courtney expecting from him? Was it an apology? Money? A life of servitude? Duncan DID want to have a session with Courtney last night. But that was last night, not today. How DID he feel about having a session with Courtney? Would he still want to have one without Gwen involved?

Zoey snapped her fingers in front of Duncan, snapping him back into reality. "Duncan, you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Good. I came down here when I heard Courtney yelling." Zoey turned to the door, barely holding up from Courtney's banging. "I'll open the door. Would rather not have Courtney break it down." Zoey unlocked the door. "It's unlocked now!"

Courtney stopped banging and calmly opened the door, walking in the house as if nothing ever happened. "Hello Zoey. I got your e-mail about me having a therapy session with Duncan, and decided to accept."

Zoey smiled. "I'm glad you decided to come. I think this can be a massive help for you and Duncan. Dawn's waiting for you at a nature trail."

"You couldn't have warned me about this instead of dropping this on me?" Duncan asked Zoey.

"Sorry. But we were worried you'd say no if we told you about it beforehand."

Duncan turned to Courtney. He had to admit, their worries were justified.

Mike walked in and gave an annoyed look at Duncan. "Dude, don't lock me out of my own house next time."

Duncan gave back Mike's key. "My bad man. Won't happen again." He then turned back to Courtney. "So, question. Why did you come here anyway? Missed me after all?" Duncan smiled. As conflicted as he was about Courtney coming, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease her.

"In your dreams." Courtney replied. "I just wanted to prove once and for all that I'M the one in the right. And a certified therapist stating that would confirm this."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. Guess Zoey and Mike didn't tell her that Dawn wasn't a licensed therapist. "Wait, so you're just trying to convince somebody that you're right."

"This won't be just ONE person. Once people hear that even a therapist takes my side, your defenders will have no leg to stand on, and it'll just cement how I'M the victim of our failed relationship."

Duncan snickered. "Wow Princess. I knew you were petty, but going through all this just to look good to some fans takes it to a new level."

"You won't be laughing once I use the therapist as a witness when I file my defamation lawsuit against you!"

Duncan smiled. He wasn't sure if he wanted the group session or not, but this confirmed his decision. "All right Princess. Let's show you our therapist."

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT A LICENSED THERAPIST?!" Courtney screamed at Dawn in shock. She and Duncan were down at the nature trail, Zoey and Mike having drove them there. They were waiting by the parking lot.

"I can read how you two feel and help mend your bonds by reading your auras and messages from my tea leaves. But I'm not technically a therapist."

Duncan was sitting on a stump, smirking. "Come on Court, you know she was a season 4 contestant. She'd be what, 16? Maybe 17? You honestly thought she'd be a licensed therapist."

"But...I was told...I mean..."

Dawn got out a claybowl. "Please make a donation to Mother Earth."

"I'm running low on cash. You'll have to donate for both of us Court." Duncan smiled.

"...I paid a 500 dollar plane ticket for this..." Courtney said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two 10 dollar bills, putting them in the bowl before sitting down on one of the stumps.

Duncan had to admit. This definitely brightened up his day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

"I'm glad you came Courtney." Dawn said. "The universe foretold me about how you'd be arriving to Windsor a few days ago."

Courtney grumbled about how she should have never wasted time and money on this. "Great. Now I'm going to have to spend more time finding an actual therapist to prove how I'm the victim here."

"You know Princess, you can just leave if you want to. Nobody's forcing you to stay here." Duncan said.

"Shut it Duncan. I can at the very least get her as an extra witness."

Duncan rolled his eyes. He picked up a stick, and started whittling it with his knife, beginning to make another wooden spear. He carved things with his knife here and there when he was younger, but after being sent to jail, there was very little stuff to do unless he was in a fight, so those were often the only things he could do to pass the time. He must have just grown fond of it since he found himself whittling a lot more often now even after being released from prison. "So moonchild, what are you sensing from our auras?"

Dawn was closing her eyes, concentrating. "It's a storm of conflicting feelings from both of you." Dawn opened her eyes. "You're both furious at each other, but at the same time, miss each other deeply."

Duncan raised an eyebrow and shrugged. The other day, he'd once again be saying that Dawn was full of crap. But considering how Dawn was consistently on the dot last session, he'd think twice about blowing her off. Why he'd miss somebody like Courtney was beyond him, but hey, finding out was part of the reason he came.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Courtney yelled. "Duncan's an obnoxious, cheating, attention-craving loser who humiliated me on international TV! Why would I miss him?!"

"Because of my good looks, my charm, and that I'm the one who taught you how to have fun." Duncan smiled.

Courtney clenched her fist, but took a breath. _'He just wants a reaction out of you Courtney.' _"Since when did YOU believe in things like this Duncan?"

"Trust me, I thought she was full of crap at first too. But when me and Gwen met with her, she read me like a book." Duncan turned to Dawn. "Hey granola girl, any stuff you want to humiliate Courtney with?"

"Please, let's be mature this session Duncan. I'll point out how she burped in front her whole high school when she ran for student body president, but we don't need to rub that in her face."

"WHA-that...that never happened!" Courtney protested.

"Relax Court, she embaressed me too with that aura schtick of hers."

Dawn turned to Duncan. "Now Duncan, why did you decide to be with Gwen instead of Courtney?"

"Because Princess is a stuck-up, bossy, know it all who was trying to get me to completely change myself to her whims."

"My changes would have been for the better." Courtney countered. "For example, getting rid of that stupid eyebrow ring of yours."

Dawn held a finger towards Courtney as a signal for her to stop talking. "So, why did you decide to kiss Gwen behind her back instead of simply breaking up with her?"

Courtney smiled. She was hoping that question would be asked. Regardless of people's inane reasons for not liking her, or thinking that Duncan was a victim in the relationship, pretty much anybody would agree that cheating on your partner isn't the way to go. And seeing Duncan dig himself in a deeper hole trying to justify it would just further help her case. "Well Duncan? She asked you a question."

Duncan stopped carving the stick he was holding and sighed. "I messed up."

"Don't try to justify it! You could have...come again?" Courtney asked.

"I didn't want to deal with Courtney freaking out, so I tried to keep it under wraps. But that just made things worse. I should have broke up with Courtney first instead of cheating on her."

"Interesting. So, why didn't you display this sympathy to Courtney before?" Dawn asked.

"Guess I still held a grudge over her getting Gwen eliminated. I did try to apologize to her when she gave me a black-eye about it...but the kick to my kiwis kinda made me run out of sympathy at the time. Still, some people in prison called me out over that, and it gave me some time to think it over." Duncan turned to Courtney. "So yeah, I'm sorry for cheating on you Courtney. But that's the only thing I'm apologizing for."

Courtney said nothing for a while before shaking her head a bit to gather her thoughts. "Well...good to see that you were wrong about that. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook just because you admit to being wrong. Besides, you have a lot more stuff to answer for."

"Like...?"

"How about voting me off in Season 2, huh? Do you know how much it hurt for my boyfriend at the time to betray me like that?!"

"You were trying to get me to change my entire identity Princess. I had to draw the line. Besides, we made up about that back in the finale of that season anyway. Not to mention that it was a competition. Eliminating people is kinda the point you know."

"That doesn't give you a pass to pull off something so under-handed!"

"...Voting somebody off is under-handed now?"

"It is if you manipulate them and break their trust to do it!"

"How did I manipulate you that season? When you weren't bossing me around, you were acting as if we weren't even dating. Face it Court, you got voted off that season for being an overbearing control freak. Not because I did anything 'under-handed' to get you voted off."

"Well...whatever! You'd still be in hot water for the emotional damage you did to me after you cheated on me."

"Well, can I counter sue for all the stress you caused me? AND the physical damage you did to me?"

Dawn cleared her throat. "It's clear that we have a lot to air out." Dawn turned to Courtney. "Now Courtney, back during All-Stars, you decided to simply ignore Duncan. So why decide to try and sue him instead of leaving the matter be?"

"Because Duncan needs to be punished for what he did to me. He can't hurt and humiliate me like that in front of the entire world and get off with a slap on the wrist."

"I was humiliated for all of All-Stars, sent to jail, and right now I'm homeless. I think you've got your revenge."

Courtney stood up. "Umm...no! It's not revenge unless I'M the cause of it, not because you needled to validate your fragile ego when you were worried about not being a bad-boy anymore. Not to mention that you mocked and humiliated me plenty of times after we broke up in World Tour." Courtney then processed the last thing Duncan said. "Wait...homeless?"

"Duncan's parents wrote letters saying that they didn't have enough money to bail him out of prison, but Duncan later found out that his bail was only a few hundred dollars. Duncan came to the conclusion that his family didn't want him around because of that." Dawn explained.

"Wait a minute, how do you know..." Duncan stopped himself. "Right. Aura-reading."

Dawn nodded. "Also, I'd appreciate it if you didn't warp fragments of mother-earth into tools of violence for no reason." She pointed at the makeshift spear that Duncan was holding.

Duncan shrugged, and put down the spear. Courtney just stared at Duncan in shock. "But...you were staying with Mike and Zoey, so you at least have a roof over your head."

"Yeah, until Spring Break ends. Then Mike's folks get back home, and I'm out of the house. I got like, 5 days until I'm on the streets. So, wanna kick me while I'm down?"

Courtney said nothing. This wasn't how she wanted things to go. If there was a scenario where she wanted Duncan to be homeless, it would be as a result of her seizing his home in her defamation lawsuit. And even that she thought was a little too extreme. _'Great. Now that I find out that I'm planning on suing a hobo, I feel like a bully.' _

"Now, let's continue searching into your emotions." Dawn stated. "I think we're all aware why you two are angry at each other. But now we need to delve into why you two miss each other."

Courtney sat back down and turned to Dawn. "I don't miss him. But...I don't think I'll sue him anymore." Duncan raised an eyebrow at this. He never really expected Courtney to follow through on that defamation lawsuit, but he didn't think she would give up so quickly.

"Well, at the very least, that's good to hear. Still, lying about your feelings won't let us make much progress."

"Well I'm not lying. Duncan's and obnoxious, insensitive jerk."

"That didn't stop you from dating me before." Duncan pointed out.

"Yeah, years ago. But the past is the past, and I want nothing more than to never have to do anything with him again."

"Then why are you still here?" Dawn asked.

Courtney's eyes widened at this. "Well...that's because...I might as well see this session all the way through since I came here."

"I see. Now Courtney, Duncan. Back during Total Drama Island, what made you two become attracted to each other to begin with?"

"I was young. I thought the rush of breaking the rules that Duncan gave to me was one of the best things ever. But like I said, I'm long over that."

Dawn turned to Duncan. "And as for you Duncan?"

"Well...same reason I wanted to call things off with her."

This took Courtney by surprise. "Huh?"

"She was bossy, stuck up, unbearingly annoying...I found it kinda hot at the time I guess. I dunno. I just got sick of it by Season 3."

"I understand. Everyone has their limit after all." Dawn replied. "So, did you believe nothing good came out of your relationship with Courtney."

"Well she was a pretty good kisser." Duncan smiled.

"So that was all I was to you huh? Somebody to kiss and mess with?" Courtney asked.

"Of course that's not-" Duncan stopped himself. Was he about to admit good times he had with Courtney? Suddenly, a ton of memories came flooding back in his head.

* * *

_Duncan fearfully looked at the Celine Dion standee._

_"Hey." Courtney said. "It's ok if you can't do it." _

_Duncan took a sigh. He was about to call it quits right then and there before he felt something. Courtney took his hand, comforting him. This took Duncan by surprise. "...Alright, I''ll try."_

_"You can do this." Courtney told him._

* * *

_"Noooooo! Scruffy!" Duncan fell to his knees, barely holding back the urge to cry. Because of that dweeb Harold, his beloved tarantula was dead._

_"There there." Courtney put her hands on Duncan's shoulders. "Scruffy is in a better place now."_

* * *

_"Duncan, come on! Please!" Courtney begged._

_Duncan took a look at Courney's eyes. She really didn't want him eliminated. This blew. Well, singing would probably be better than risking Princess crying. "This suuuuuuuucks!" _

* * *

He completely forgot about all of those moments for over a year. "What...what just happened?"

"It looked to me like you weren't able to contain what your aura screamed out any longer." Dawn said. "Sometimes we hide our true thoughts even from ourselves."

"It's like...I suddenly remembered a bunch of times where she was cool to be around."

Dawn nodded. "So, it seems that you fell for her because of how strict she was, but also for times where she was there for you. Do you suspect that's part of the reason why you missed her?"

"Hey, I never said I actually did miss Courtney." Duncan said.

"Then I'll need to ask another question. Did you miss Courtney?"

"Didn't you say yesterday that I'm just bothered by being ignored, not that it was because it was her specifically?"

"It's a yes or no question Duncan. Did you miss Courtney?"

Duncan stood up. "Anybody who'd miss someone like her ought to have their head examined. I'm not gonna deny that I handled things poorly, but Princess is the definition of obnoxious. If that Scott guy were still dating her, I would have given him an entire essay explaining how Courtney would make his life hell."

Courtney looked like she was about to yell, but Dawn stood up, and walked towards Duncan. "Please answer my question Duncan. We'll get nowhere at this rate."

Duncan walked towards Dawn in turn. The two were face to face. "A normal human wouldn't be able to live under the same roof as her without going insane! She's my personal hell!"

"Did you miss her?" Dawn sternly asked.

"YES!"

Courtney's eyes widened in shock. "What...?"

Duncan looked just as surprised at what he said. "I...I missed you...just like I missed Gwen..." He talked as if he was discovering it for the first time.

"Can...can we continue this session later?" Courtney asked.

"Absolutely." Dawn replied. She walked back towards the stump she sat at. "My tea leaves told me the outcome would either end with this result, or the two of you coming into blows. I'm glad we led ourselves to this future instead."

Duncan and Courtney stared at eachother in shock. "Duncan, do you..."

"I dunno. Like, I'm fine with hanging out with you and all, but I don't know if I want to get back together or anything. I just...it's confusing! Is this how chicks feel with exes?!"

"Emotions are very complex things." Dawn told the two. "Still, I'm glad that Duncan is starting to understand his feelings."

Courtney said nothing for a little while. "Look Duncan...whatever you're feeling right now, I don't want to date you. You really hurt me back during World Tour."

"I know. Like I said, I'm sorry about that."

Courtney nodded. "Still...my return plane isn't leaving for about three days. And I have nothing to do. My entire schedule was set up with the idea of me building up a case against you for the lawsuit. So...maybe we could hang out today?"

Duncan smiled. "That doesn't sound too horrible." The two fist bumped each other before walking up the nature trail, back to Mike and Zoey.

"This doesn't mean I missed you though!" Courtney yelled.

"Come on Court, if I admitted it, so can you."

"Just because you felt that way doesn't mean I did!"

"So what, you think that aura stuff from Dawn only applies to me?"

"Your simple mind probably makes it easier for her."

"I can't believe I missed you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Gwen tapped her head with a tablet pen repeatedly. She was sitting in her room, staring intensely at a tablet on her desk. Art block. A frustrating but ever so common problem Gwen faced as an aspiring artist.

"Ugh...I got nothing." Gwen put her pen down, walked to her bed, and laid down on it. "Horror movies aren't helping, drawing isn't helping...how do I get those two out of my head?" Since last night, Gwen couldn't shake the memory of Duncan asking her to go to another of Dawn's session with him, along with inviting Courtney along. "I thought Duncan wanted nothing to do with me aftter that session. But he wants another one? What, does he just want to make fun of me again?"

Ever since Duncan suggested bringing her along for a session, Gwen's been thinking about her failed friendship with Courtney. She kept having memories about how they started to get along in World Tour before Gwen kissed Duncan behind her back. Then how they finally became friends again during All Stars and intended to go to the finale together after Gwen's constant efforts, only for Gwen to find out that Courtney was lying about it. Courtney betrayed her trust after all the hell she gave Gwen for doing the same.

And of course, the memories she kept having about Duncan didn't exactly help. Duncan said SHE was neglecting him? Then he needed to look in a mirror. Throughout all of All Stars, Duncan probably earned the reward of most insensitive boyfriend on Total Drama. From acting as if Gwen was trying to hurt Courtney when she was trying to make up with her, from deciding to not do anything about Courtney glaring at Gwen in his attempt to ignore her, to kissing her solely to try and get Courtney jealous. Duncan acted as if taking a leech or the occasional asking about Gwen's wel being deserved an award while convienintly ignoring all the times that he proved not to give a crap about her feelings.

Gwen sighed. "I need to do something to take my mind off those two." Gwen got out her phone and called Zoey.

"Hey Gwen, what's up?" Zoey asked from over the phone.

"Hey Zoey. Been kinda down since last night. You free to hang out today?"

"Oh...sorry, but me and Mike are kinda busy at the mall. Maybe tomorrow?"

Gwen hid her disappointment. "No big deal. I can hang with somebody else, like Marilyn or Pixie Corpse. So, you and Mike on a date?"

"Actually, we're just hanging out with-" Zoey paused. "Cameron."

Gwen noticed the pause. "Oh. So it's just the three of you huh? It's cool. I haven't been your friend as long as those two after all. I understand."

Zoey felt guilty. Her lie was making Gwen feel bad. But if she told the truth and reminded Gwen of Duncan and Courtney, she might feel even worse. "Well...it's not actually Cameron. Sorry for lying."

Gwen smiled. While Zoey wasn't as bad at keeping secrets as Cameron, she was pretty easy to guilt into telling the truth. "Let me guess, you two are hanging out with Duncan, and didn't want to tell me because you were worried it would make me feel worse, right?"

Zoey was hoping she didn't find that out. "Yeah...sorry Gwen."

"Don't worry. I might not like Duncan, but that doesn't mean I'll forbid you from hanging out with him. I'm not that petty. So don't feel like you have to lie for my sake."

"You mean that?"

"Totally. You shouldn't have to be afraid about who you hang out with just because I don't like them."

"That's good to hear, because I was worried we would have to hide Courtney from you for all of Spring Break."

Gwen's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Me and Mike emailed Courtney telling her that Duncan wanted to have a session with her and Dawn. It looks like things went well."

"Wait...are you saying that Duncan and Courtney are cool with each other now?"

"Looks like it. Not gonna lie, I'm still kinda iffy on Courtney, but it looks like Duncan's having a good time hanging out with her."

Gwen said nothing. Duncan managed to patch things together with COURTNEY? Those two are the embodiment of hostile exes. "...Well, that's good to hear I guess. So Zoey, do you happen to know where I can find Dawn?"

"She gave me her phone number after you met her for the first time at that nature rally. I'll text it to you."

"Cool. Later Zoey." Gwen hung up. "Just when I thought I couldn't feel any crappier." A bit of time passed before Gwen saw that Zoey texted Dawn's number. "Well...guess I'm gonna be seeing Dawn again after all."

* * *

"Ahahaha! Seriously?! THAT'S why Scott broke up with you the second time?!" Duncan asked Courtney. He, Courtney, and Mike were sitting at a table in the food court. Courtney was eating a lamb gyro while Mike and Duncan were eating burgers and fries. Duncan and Courtney sat next to each other while next to Mike was an empty chair, and a fruit salad bowl.

"I _know _right? All I do is draw him with a rat tail, and suddenly he's done with me?" Courtney replied. "I compared you to digusting creatures all the time when we were dating, and you never threw a fit about it."

Zoey came back to the table after talking on the phone with Gwen, sat down next to Mike, and continued eating her fruit salad. "So Courtney, you're staying in Windsor for a few days, right? Where will you be staying?"

"I already made reservations in a hotel." Courtney answered. She then turned to Duncan. "So, apparently you tried to patch things up with Gwen too?"

Duncan swallowed a piece of his burger. "More like these two dragged me and Gwen to a session."

"Come on Duncan. You tried to get Gwen to have a second session with you of your own free will." Mike pointed out.

"Yeah, because I had nothing else to do. I could go either way if I see pasty again or not." Duncan drank from his soda.

Courtney smiled. "Funny. I remember you telling Dawn that you missed me AND Gwen."

Duncan spat out his drink all over Mike's face in shock. "What the heck Courtney?!"

"Duncan, I'm minoring in psychology. And if there's one thing I learned, it's that bottling in your feelings is never healthy."

"Guess that explains why you never exactly kept your anger a secret." Duncan replied bitterly. "Besides, it's not like you're exactly innocent of doing that either."

Zoey was using napkins to dry off Mike's face. "I think it's really sweet that you still wanted to make things right with Courtney and Gwen, Duncan. And at the very least, you and Courtney are on good terms now."

"And to tell you the truth Duncan...you're not the only one who wants to make things right with Gwen." Courtney said.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Didn't you and Gwen get back to being-" Duncan's eyes widened. He remembered when he overheard some guards talk about Courtney's All-Stars elimination back in prison. "...Right. Forgot."

Courtney nodded. "I really wish I could go back in time and stop myself from making that stupid chart. I promised Gwen that we'd aim for the finale, but I tried to take Scott to the finale instead to increase my odds at winning even after everything Gwen did to try and make things right with me."

"Well...maybe you could talk with her about it. Try and make things right again." Mike suggested.

"I've been trying ever since All-Stars ended. But she blocked my e-mail address, my FaceBook, everything. She wants nothing to do with me." Courtney looked at the table sadly. "I really messed up."

Zoey seemed surprised. _'Whoa. Courtney looks really sorry about what she did to Gwen.'_

Duncan put a hand on Courtney's shoulder. "Look, maybe we should do something else. Get our minds off Gwen."

"There's an escape room not too far from here. Maybe we could try that out." Mike suggested.

"That sounds like it could be pretty fun." Zoey said.

Courtney brightened up at the idea. "Heh. I've been a master at those since I was in elementary school. Get ready for me to carry you guys to victory."

"O. M. G. Is that Courtney and Duncan on a double date with Zoey and Mike?!" The four turned their heads and saw two blonde teenage girls near them. One had her hair tied back with a green elastic band, the other had her hair run down to her neck and was wearing a blue headband. The long haired blonde turned to her friend. "See, I TOLD you that they were made for eachother!"

"As IF. They'll break up again sooner or later, and Duncan will get back with Gwen. Those two are a WAY better couple."

Duncan and Courtney both groaned. "Me and Duncan haven't gotten back together. We're just hanging out as friends." Courtney told them.

"Ohhh. So it's a lunch of exes that are still on good terms with eachother then." The blonde who banded her hair together said.

"Umm...me and Zoey are still-" Mike began to say.

One of the blondes gasped. "Does this mean that there's a chance that Duncan will get together with Zoey?!"

"Excuse me?" Zoey asked.

"Eeeeeee! That would be one of the cutest things ever!" The other blonde exclaimed.

"Please take us to that escape room Mike." Courtney said in annoyance.

"Or stab me. That works too." Duncan stated.

The four quickly got out of their seats and walked away.

* * *

"Sorry for meeting with you so suddenly Dawn." Gwen said.

"No worries. After all, you did offer to pay for the drinks." Dawn took a sip from her tea. "So Gwen, what led you to decide to meet with me again?" She and Gwen were sitting at a table in a tea shop.

Gwen looked at her tea. "I dunno...I guess when I found out that Courtney came to town, and that she and Duncan are hanging out with Mike and Zoey, I got bummed out."

"I see." Dawn put down her cup. "So, did you feel left out because of this?"

"A little I guess. But I can't control Zoey and Mike. They're free to choose who they hang out with. And it's not like I'll be cut out or anything. I can hang out with them another day."

"So, do you know the biggest reason why finding out about this news upset you?"

Gwen sighed. "I guess...I got a lot of bad memories, you know? Memories I'd prefer to forget."

Dawn nodded, and picked up her cup again. "So tell me Gwen, I sense that your memories of Courtney and Duncan bother you the most. But they aren't the people you dislike most from Total Drama, are they?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow at this. "Are you kidding? Of course not. They're tools, but with people like Chris, Heather, and Alejandro around, they're saints in comparison."

"And yet, I could tell from you aura that you were most haunted by memories of those two."

Gwen picked up her cup. "Don't know what to tell you."

"May I offer an explanation for why that's the case?" Gwen shrugged as she drank from her tea. "It's because in the past, those two were your friends, and in Duncan's case, romantic partner."

Gwen stopped drinking from her tea, and put it down. "Yeah. That makes sense. Like, I'm not gonna act as if I never had any good times with them or anything. But Duncan was just so annoying during All Stars, and Courtney completely betrayed me after I went through hell and back to try and make things right with her. I guess...it kinda sucked to lose those friendships."

"So, do you want to make things right with them?"

Gwen sighed. "I...I really don't think so. Like, I had good times with both of them, but they also caused some of the worst moments I had in Total Drama." Gwen took another sip from her tea. "I especially don't know how my aura can say I miss Duncan. With Courtney, I at least had some good times with her in All Stars. Duncan was just completely obnoxious."

Dawn and Gwen drank their tea in silence for a while. When they both finished their cups, Dawn spoke up. "Do you want to know the tipping point that led Courtney and Duncan to make up?"

Gwen raised her hand to signal the waiter to bring them the check. "Sure."

"Duncan started to discover aspects of himself that he himself didn't know he had."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "You mean he didn't know how he was feeling?"

"It's quite common to not realize one's own thoughts and emotions. But near the end of the session with Courtney, Duncan realized that he missed her."

"Well, that's not a surprise. I dumped him because he was obsessed with her back in All-Stars." A waiter gave the check to Gwen for the drinks.

"He also realized that he missed you." Dawn stated.

Gwen's eyes widened at this. "...Seriously?"

"Um, miss? Your check?" The waiter pointed out.

"Oh! Right." Gwen quickly gave the waiter the money before turning back to Dawn. "I thought Duncan hated me after that session though."

"And yet, he still wishes to make things right with you. After all, didn't he ask you to have another session with him last night?"

Gwen gasped. How didn't she notice that Duncan still wanted to patch things up with her from that? Did her resentment towards him really blind her that much?

"Emotions can be very complex things." Dawn stated. She got out her chair. "But even if you don't desire to mend your broken bonds with Duncan and Courtney, at the very least, understanding your own emotions will ease your mind."

Dawn walked out of the tea shop, leaving Gwen alone. "Ugh...I can't believe I'm gonna do this." Gwen got out her phone, and dialed some numbers.

"Yeah?" Zoey asked over the phone.

"Hey Zoey. It cool if I ask you and Mike a favor?"

"Oh, Gwen! Sure! What is it?"

"I want to take Duncan and Courtney somewhere."

* * *

Duncan, Courtney, Mike, and Zoey walked out of the mall. The moon shined beautifully on a cloudless night. "I gotta say. That wasn't a terrible time." Duncan said.

"Your repulsive and obnoxious behavior is so much more tolerable when I don't feel like the target, or obligated to fix it." Courtney stated.

"And you took all those losses to me in the arcade way better than I thought you would. You were either just a bit annoyed, or even having fun. You're a notorious sore loser, so I wasn't expecting you to take it so well."

Courtney shrugged. "Guess when a million dollars isn't at stake, losing doesn't feel **as **humiliating. Besides, I don't care that much about video games. Still, I'll even the score later."

"So Courtney, what hotel are you staying at? I'll drive you there." Mike said.

"Thanks Mike! I'm staying at-" Courtney stopped talking. "No way..."

Duncan turned to Courtney and raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking...at..." Duncan saw a familiar face standing by a car parked next to Mike's.

"Um...hey guys." Gwen said.

"GWEN?! Wh-what are you...I mean it's nice to...I wasn't..." Courtney stammered.

Mike turned to Zoey. "Did you know she was coming?"

"Yeah. She called me about an hour ago. Said she wanted to take Duncan and Courtney somewhere."

Duncan crossed his arms. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with us anymore."

"I thought that too. But honestly, I don't know what I want anymore."

"So...did you decide to come here to patch things up?" Courtney asked hopefully.

"Maybe. What I do know is that I have feelings to let out. And I'm sure you two have some too."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "So, you want all three of us to have that session with Dawn after all?"

"Maybe later. For now, I have another idea." Gwen turned to Zoey and Mike. "Sorry that you've basically been our chauffeur for the past couple days Mike. But we're gonna need a driver."

"But...you brought your own car." Mike pointed out.

"Yeah, but it won't be safe for me to drive back home." Gwen turned to Duncan and Courtney. "All three of us are 19."

Duncan widened his eyes before smiling. "The legal drinking age in Ontario."

"Wait a second Gwen. You mean-" Courtney began to say.

"Yeah. Maybe I can find out more about how I've been feeling if I'm drunk. Let's go get wasted at a bar."

"WHOO-HOO!" Duncan cheered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Mike parked his car where Gwen told him to. "Is this the place Gwen?" They were by a small building with a dim neon sign of a guitar on it, and a sign saying _The Cloudy Night_.

"Yup_._" Gwen answered. She, Courtney, and Duncan were in the backseat, Courtney sitting in the middle. "Sorry that you guys will have to wait for us again. You two are younger than 19 after all."

"It's no biggie." Zoey replied.

"So long as it helps you guys, we're fine with waiting a couple of hours for you guys." Mike stated.

"You two just ooze niceness don't you?" Duncan asked. "And yes, that was meant to be an insult."

"Nicest insult I've gotten then." Zoey smiled. "And besides." Mike and Zoey held each other's hands while they stared lovingly into each other's eyes. "We have each other to keep us company."

Duncan rolled his eyes. For as much as he appreciated everything Zoey and Mike did to help him out (not like he'd ever admit it out loud though), they were way too nice sometimes. Sure, Duncan made friends with some softies before like DJ and Owen, but at least they were willing to cut back and join in some mischief from time to time, and didn't make goo-goo eyes every other minute. Mike and especially Zoey on the other hand were so sickeningly sweet, it could give somebody a cavity. Really hurts Duncan's bad guy cred to be living with them. But at the very least, they didn't make out all the time like Bridgette and Geoff. "Well, as long as you won't get bored. Ready princesses?"

Gwen grunted in annoyance, unbuckled her seat belt, and opened the door. As she got out of the car, she took a glance at Courtney, who looked petrified in nervousness. "Umm...you ok?"

"Huh? Um...yeah. I'm fine." Courtney got out of the car as well, Duncan following. Unlike Courtney, he looked about as excited as a kid in a candy store.

"So, you guys ready?" Gwen asked.

"Oooohhhh yeah." Duncan smiled.

The three entered the building, Courtney falling behind Gwen and Duncan. Gwen opened the door, revealing a bar with purple walls and a miniature stage with mics. Nobody was on stage, but soft metal music was playing through the speakers. Despite it being a Saturday night, there were only about 10 or so patrons there.

"Huh. Metal music, dark atmosphere, but still small and quiet. No wonder you like this place." Duncan said.

The three walked towards the counter and sat down, Courtney sitting in the middle. Several bartenders were working at the other side of it. A tall young man with pale skin and hair dyed red and black walked up to the three. "Hey Gwen." He said. His voice was completely monotone.

"Hey Ennui. How's it going?" Gwen asked.

"Me and Crimson's third year anniversary is coming up. I'm ecstatic." His voice stayed emotionless. "Sapphire Alpine I take it?"

Gwen nodded. "Keep them coming. We're trying to get wasted."

Ennui nodded before getting out two menus, and gave them to Duncan and Courtney. "Let me know when you're ready." Ennui then walked off to prepare Gwen's drink.

Duncan started looking at the options. "Gotta admit pasty, you can come up with some pretty great ideas."

"You know, I've been wondering. How come you're so excited about this?" Gwen asked. "I'm sure you drank before. Even I did some underage drinking here and then."

"Of course I have. But fake ID's and shoplifting can only get you so many drinks. Now, I can drink all I want!"

"Aren't you broke? How will you even pay for your drinks?" Courtney asked.

"Considering how this was Gwen's idea, I think it'd only be fair for her to pay for the drinks."

Gwen sighed. "Four drinks maximum Duncan. After that, you're on your own."

"Please. That amount'll barely even faze me." Duncan bragged.

Courtney was looking through the meny. "Seriously, some of these names are just bizarre. 'Black Russian?' 'Salty Dog?' 'Tom and Jerry?'" She put down the menu before looking at Duncan and Gwen. "So um...how hard is it for a person to control themselves when drunk?" Courtney asked nervously.

"Never drank before, eh Court?" Duncan smiled.

"I had the occasional sip of wine on rare occasions, but I always avoided intoxication. If I got drunk and made a fool of myself, who knows how that could damage my reputation when I run for office?"

"All they'd need to do that is show clips of the show." Duncan joked, earning him a glare from Courtney.

"Your first time, you'll probably find yourself losing your balance and giggling a lot, but you should be fine so long as you stay within your limits." Gwen answered.

Courtney felt a bit of relief and then raised her hand. "I'll have a Daiquiri please."

"And I'll have a Black Russian." Duncan stated.

Ennui nodded as he brought a dark blue cocktail in a glass to Gwen. He then took Duncan and Courtney's menus and began to work on them. "So uh...Gwen, about All-Stars-" Courtney began to say.

"Drink first. Talk later." Gwen grabbed her drink, and immediately started chugging it. Courtney widened her eyes in shock, and Duncan raised an eyebrow at how fast she was drinking it. Less than 10 seconds later, Gwen finished the glass. "Like I said, keep them coming Ennui."

Ennui brought Courtney's and Duncan's drinks. In Courtney's glass was a light yellow rum with a lime on the rim, while in Duncan's glass was dark brown vodka. "You know, my co-workers would probably warn you not to drink too fast. So I'll just keep letting you drink as fast as you want." He walked off again, ready to prepare more drinks.

"Didn't know you could drink so fast." Duncan said.

"Oh gee, you don't know something about me. What a surprise." Gwen replied.

Duncan frowned as he picked up his glass. "Amazing how you were confused that you were put on the villain's team with an attitude like that."

"Amazing how you were confused when I dumped you for constantly being an insensitive tool."

Duncan chugged down his glass before slamming it on the counter. "Oh shut it! Don't pretend that you gave a crap about how I felt back in All-Stars!"

Ennui came back with more glasses for Gwen and Duncan, who preceded to drink them. "You're seriously gonna try and act as if me not showering you with the attention you craved is on the same level as you using me as a tool to make Courtney jealous?"

"_You're _seriously gonna try and act like me saving you from savage birds or trying to support you in that dumb obstacle-pancake eating challenge even when we were on different teams never happened?"

"Oh there it is!" Gwen finished her second glass and wobbled slightly. "Acting as if doing good things every now and again TOTALLY invalidates all the times you wrote off how I felt!"

Duncan finished his second glass. "Writing off how _you _felt?! Alright then pasty, name a _single_" Duncan let out a huge burp. "-time back in All-Stars where you gave a damn about me."

The arguing of Duncan and Gwen got the attention of a couple patrons at the bar. Several of them were staring and listening in on the former tv stars' conversation.

"Maybe if you understood that my world doesn't revolve around you and that I was busy trying to make things right with Courtney, I'd have been more comfortable hanging around you."

"Hey...don...don't go talking about me like I'm not around..." Courtney slurred. She rested her head on the counter.

"...How many drinks did she have?" Gwen asked.

Ennui brought Duncan and Gwen's third glasses. "Almost half of one." Ennui answered.

Courtney raised her head up. "And you know what...I have something to say too!" Courtney turned to Gwen. "You COMPLETELY overreacted to my chart!"

A small gasp came from the observers.

Gwen clenched her fist. "Oh yeah, like you're one to talk about overreacting after all you put me through in World Tour."

Courtney stood up, wobbling constantly. "You...you wanna know the difference between what I did and what you did? **I **was simply playing the" Courtney hiccuped. "Playing the game. **You **kissed my-at the time-boyfriend behind my" Courtney hiccuped again. "- back! And you know what? I wouldn't mind so much anymore if you at least ACTUALLY took responsibility for it. But what was your defense? 'Courtney and Duncan were done at the time.' We all know that's a load of crap!"

"You guys broke up after Action. News about that food fight spread like wildfire."

"You know as well as I do that me and Duncan got back together after that! You were _there _when me and Duncan got back together on the bus that DJ's mom owned. You said in the" Courtney hiccuped again. "-confessionals that Duncan was my boyfriend during World Tour! The whole time you were trying to make things right with me in All-Stars, you were trying to deny even the...the faintest possibility that you did anything wrong! I know that I'm not the best at this either, but how about you actually acknowledge when you screwed up for once instead of acting completely blameless?!"

There was a stunned silence. "Oh snap." Ennui said emotionlessly.

"Well...I..." Gwen stammered.

"Face it pasty, she's got your number." Duncan said.

Courtney panted a bit after he tirade before collapsing onto the floor. "Ugh...somebody put me back on the chair."

Gwen sighed. "Ok...you're right." Gwen started swaying from side to side a bit. "I _was _trying to justify myself about the kissing thing. And I guess I _did _do my own fair share of neglecting when I was dating you Duncan." Gwen picked up her third glass and took a gulp. "That doesn't mean you guys did nothing wrong either though. Courtney, I'm not mad at you for trying to take Scott to the finale instead of me. I'm mad at you because you **lied **to me about it. Not to mention the devil horns and goatee you drew on me for your chart thing. You made me think we were friends again, but you completely betrayed my trust."

Courtney sighed from the floor. "I know...I really" Courtney hiccuped once again. "-screwed up. But I DID want to be friends with you again. I even voted for myself back in All-Stars like you wanted me to, but you didn't give two craps about that. You're not the only one who was hurt in All-Stars you know."

Duncan took Courtney's half-full daiquiri and finished it. He then grabbed Courtney by the arms and helped her get back up on the seat. "Guess all of us were in the wrong about how we acted." Duncan started to sway a little bit.

"Yeah...I think I can agree with you on that." Gwen said. She drank from her third glass before putting it down. She was wobbling almost as much as Courtney by this point. "So Duncan, you find a job yet?"

Duncan sighed and picked up his Black Russian again. "No. Nobody'll hire me after I blew up that mansion."

"Seriously? Chris is a scumbag! Doing something like that to him would BOOST your chances of getting a job in my eyes."

"The law is...is the" Courtney hiccuped again "-law Gwen. Causing that would ma...make people feel like he's too...dangerous..." Courtney replied.

"And since my parents shown that they want nothing to do with me, I got no place to stay." Duncan said.

"Ugh...it's not right. Like, yeah, you did stupid things, but being abandoned by your own family?" Gwen responded.

"Yeah. It sucks. But I guess I gotta roll with the punches and all."

Gwen gave her Sapphire Alpine one last drink. "Hey...Duncan? For what it's worth I'm..." Gwen let out a large burp. "...I'm sorry for how I acted in All-Stars. I ignored you. I laughed at you for being nice. I mocked you when you were arrested. That wasn't cool of me."

Duncan finished off his Black Russian. "...Thanks pasty. I'm sorry for not caring about how you felt too."

Gwen smiled and then turned to Courtney, who was currently lying her head on the counter. Gwen started patting her on the back for comfort. "I'm also sorry for what I did to you Courtney."

Courtney rose her head up. "Thaink u Gwin..." Courtney slurred. "I'msorry twoo..." Courtney fell back onto the ground again, passing out.

Gwen started chuckling. "I know it's her first time drinking, but I didn't think Courtney would be THIS much of a lightweight."

"You shouldn't be throwing stones in that glass house of your, wobbly." Duncan smiled.

"Please. I could drink you under the table any day Duncan."

"You wanna put your money where your mouth is?" Duncan asked. Challenging Gwen to a drinking contest would get her to remove that 4 drink limit she placed.

Gwen smirked. "We keep drinking until one of us throws up. Loser has to go up to the stand and sing for the bar."

"Oh, it's on. We're ordering the same drink from now on though to make sure we're both getting the same amount of alcohol."

Gwen nodded. "Hey Ennui! Two vodka tonics! And keep them coming!"

* * *

Mike and Zoey were cuddling with each other in the car, Zoey sitting on Mike's lap while Mike wrapped his arms around her. "You wanna know another thing I love about you staying over for Spring Break?"

Zoey giggled. "What is it?"

"No matter how groggy I am after waking up, seeing your smile in the morning always energizes me."

"Awww." Zoey kissed Mike on the cheek. "Wanna know another thing that **I **love about staying with you for Spring Break?"

"What is it?"

"For the first time ever, getting to have some uninterrupted Mike-time with you. Not to say that I didn't accept your personalities or anything." Zoey wrapped her arms around Mike's neck. "But we can finally have moments where we'll alone together."

Mike's smile widened. As much as he missed Chester, Vito, Svetlana, and Manitoba, getting some privacy with Zoey was absolutely appreciated.

The two heard a knock on the door. They turned and saw that by Mike's window was a bald man with a brown shirt and black jeans. "Hey! Are you two lovebirds friends with the goth and the punk?"

"So much for privacy." Zoey gently got out of Mike's lap.

"Yeah. We also know the third girl that came with them. Why?"

"You better come inside." The man said.

"We're underage." Zoey stated.

"Not to drink. To pick up your friends."

Not a good sign. Mike and Zoey got out of the car and followed the man into the bar. When they entered, they saw Courtney passed out on the floor, a goth with red and black hair cleaning up vomit on the counter, two men cleaning up vomit off the floor and walls, and Duncan and Gwen passed out on a miniature stage.

"Oh boy." Mike said.

"What happened here?" Zoey asked.

"I was in my office, so my info's second hand, but these three friends of yours got into an argument, made up, and two of them had a drinking contest. Apparently, loser had to sing or something." The manager replied.

"Let me guess. It was a tie?" Mike asked.

The manager nodded. "They started hurling chunks at the same time, so they both lost, so they started singing a bunch of songs apparently. Now, three former reality stars being here might get this place more attention, especially since a few customers took videos of two of them singing here, so I'm not gonna ban them. But they passed out before paying their bills, the barfing they did cause a few customers to leave before they paid, and I'm gonna need to pay to repaint the walls now."

Zoey and Mike knew where this was going. "How much?" Mike sighed.

The manager gave Mike a slip of paper. "Here's the combined bills you'll need to pay for the damages and drinks."

"How much is it?" Zoey asked.

Mike let out a long groan before reaching into his wallet. He's so lucky that he won the All-Stars reward money. "Zoey, why don't you go get those three?"

Zoey nodded. She got Courtney up and sat her unconscious body on a chair. She then walked up to Gwen and Duncan.

"Ughh..." Duncan groaned. "That you Zoey?"

Zoey was surprised that Duncan was awake. "Don't use up too much energy Duncan. Me and Mike will take you guys to the car."

"Hey Red...don't spread this around to anybody...but I need to tell you something."

Zoey leaned down to Duncan and put her ear near him. "What is it?"

"What you and your boyfriend did...bailing me out of jail, giving me a place to stay..." He turned to the unconscious Gwen, and the unconscious Courtney. "...And getting that hippie girl to help me hang out with two of the coolest girls I've ever known. It means a lot to me." Duncan's head swayed. "Tha...thank you..." Duncan passed out again.

Zoey smiled. Duncan would probably forget this when he woke up tomorrow. But it was clearer than ever to her now what Duncan really thought. "I knew you were a nice guy."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

"Ughh..." Duncan raised his head upwards, and rubbed his eyes. He was in the guest room bed, still wearing the clothes he had on last night. "My head's pounding so much. Geez, I must've gotten more wasted last night than I thought I would."

"Mph...keep it down..." A girl complained. Duncan turned his head and saw that Courtney was lying in a sleeping bad on the floor. Next to her was a water bottle. He also saw that Gwen was lying in the second bed of the guest room.

Gwen stretched and let out a big yawn. "Ugh...morning guys."

"Ahhh! My head!" Courtney yelled. "Keep it down!"

Gwen rolled her eyes. She saw that on the counter in between her and Duncan's beds were two glasses of water. "Zoey and Mike must have left them here for us." Gwen drank from one of the glasses of water.

Duncan took a gulp from the glass of water next to him. "Yo Gwen, you remember who won our drinking challenge?"

Gwen finished the glass of water and put it back on the counter. "Not really. Though considering how we both passed out, I'm guessing it was a tie."

Courtney raised her head up, and drank from the water bottle next to her. "Uggghhh...Is it usually this painful waking up after getting drunk?"

"Depends on how much you drink. Though I gotta say, I never saw someone get so wasted from just half a glass." Gwen smirked.

Duncan stretched his arms and got out of bed. "Well, I'm gonna look for job offerings." He started rubbing his head in pain a bit. "First I'm gonna get some more water."

"I should probably go back to the mall to get my car back." Gwen got out of bed. She then held her head. "Not gonna be fun with this headache."

Courtney sniffed the air. "Hey, do any of you guys smell vomit?" Courtney rubbed the back of her head before feeling something. She took a look at her hand and saw that there was barf on it. "Ewwwwww!"

Duncan and Gwen took a look at the back of Courtney's head, the former holding in laughter. Sure enough, there was a good amount of barf on it. "Oh...sorry about that Courtney. Me and Duncan kinda hurled at the bar. Some must have gotten on you."

"SERIOUSLY?!" Courtney put her hands on her head. "Owww...I really shouldn't yell so loud."

"Mph. Yeah, you should-you should maybe take a shower Court." Duncan suggested.

Courtney slowly got out of the sleeping bag. Duncan and Gwen were expecting her to be furious, but while she certainly didn't look happy, she simply seemed to be annoyed. Maybe she was too tired from the hangover to get too angry. "Ugh, I never should have went with you two to that bar. I didn't even get to do anything fun before passing out."

"Well, we can try another time I guess. How long will you be in Windsor Courtney?" Gwen said.

Courtney gasped in shock. "You...you mean that we can...?"

"Yeah Courtney. I'm absolutely cool with hanging out and being friends again. Hopefully this time, we can make it stay that way. Without letting boy drama or a sadistic competition get in the way of that."

Courtney said nothing before her tears started to water up. "Wahhhhh!" She ran up to Gwen and gave her a bone crushing hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou THANK YOU! I'm so sorry for how I treated you on that show! From here on out, I'll be the best friend-ish ever!"

"Can't...breathe..." Gwen said weakly.

Courtney stopped crying and loosened her grip. "Oh. Sorry."

Gwen took several deep breaths before turning to Duncan. "And hey, Duncan...are we cool again?"

Duncan said nothing for a while, before smiling and holding out a fist. "Totally pasty."

Gwen smiled and fist bumped Duncan. "Anyway, like I said, I need to get my car back."

"You're heading to the mall right? I'm going there too to try and find a job again."

Gwen shrugged. "We can go there together I guess."

"Cool. You wanna come too Court after you shower?"

Courtney shook her head. "I gotta call the hotel I was staying at and explain why I didn't arrive yesterday. Can't let my room reservation go to waste."

"Alright. Catch ya later Courtney." Gwen said. She and Duncan walked out of the guest room, and started to head towards the stairs. "So Duncan, any ideas for what job you'll apply for next?"

"I dunno. Whatever place that won't mind too much about me blowing up McLean's mansion I guess." Duncan replied.

"What jobs have you tried to get so far?"

"Jobs that anybody with half a brain can do. Being a cashier at fast food joints, a clerk at stores. Stuff like that."

The two started walking down the stairs. "Well, maybe try going for a job that you have skills in. Show that they'd be missing out on turning you away just because you gave Chris a dose of karma."

"Huh. Never thought about-"

"Come on! Please? He doesn't have anywhere else to go!" They heard Zoey plead.

The two stopped walking, and saw Zoey talking to somebody on her cell phone while Mike was sitting on a couch. "Whose Zoey talking to?" Gwen whispered.

Duncan shrugged. "Dunno, but it must be about getting me a place to stay."

"Look, Duncan's stayed with me and Mike for two days now, and he hasn't broken, stole, or blown up anything." Zoey said.

"Though he DID lock me out of my own house and cause me to pay over 400 dollars." Mike quipped.

Zoey put the phone away from her. "Mike!" Zoey whispered in annoyance before putting the cell phone back to her ear. "Look, he made a mistake. A huge one. But you're supposed to BE there for him when he's down. Not abandoning him!"

Duncan's eyes widened before he gritted his teeth. "Should have figured..." Duncan started to walk down the stairs again.

"Yeah? Wait, really?"

"You lovebirds having fun talking with them?" Mike and Zoey turned their heads and saw Duncan walk towards them.

"Oh, Duncan. Didn't think you'd get up yet." Zoey said.

Mike saw Duncan's angry look, and stood up. "Look man, no need to get angry at us for trying to find you a place to stay."

"I'm more annoyed that you didn't bother to give me a heads up about this. Kinda a common thing with you two. But don't worry, you guys I'm only kinda annoyed with. The real anger is towards the people you're talking with. How about you put the phone on speaker? Let me say some words to them?"

"Well...you sure you don't wanna talk in private?" Zoey asled.

"You two snooped enough already. Why stop now?"

Zoey nodded sadly, and tapped a button. "Duncan's here to talk with you."

"Oh, thank goodness! I was worried he would never talk with me again." The voice of a woman responded over the phone.

"Mom." Duncan sternly said.

Gwen widened her eyes. She didn't know if she was supposed to leave since this was personal, or stay since she and Duncan were going to the mall together.

"Duncan! It's been so long since I talked with you-"

"Why did you and Dad lie to me?" Duncan interrupted.

A sigh was heard over the phone. "I tried to convince your father to bail you out. But he insisted that you needed to learn a lesson about consequences."

"Oh, so Dad says no, and that's that? You leave me to rot in jail?"

"Duncan, I argued with him about this for months! But he wouldn't budge! He told me that if I bailed you out, he'd refuse to let you stay in the house anymore! I couldn't allow you to be homeless!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night knowing that you lied to your son and let him stay in prison for over half a year. Do you know how screwed up some of those guys are?!"

"I thought you were friends with those guys?" Zoey asked.

"I am, but that doesn't mean they're right in the head. My cellmate Drew used me as a punching bag the first couple of weeks there. Oh, and the Psycho Killer was there too, who threatened to gut me with his hook hand!"

"Wait, was he in the courtyard when we picked you up jail?" Mike asked.

"Nah. The dude got solitary confinement after Antoine and Tommy stopped him. Point is Mom, I don't care what excuse you have. You and Dad basically left me for dead when you could have easily gotten me out!"

"Duncan, I swear, I had no idea that-" Duncan's mom began to say

"Don't give me that! You're a COP! You of all people would know how much danger I was in! Admit it. You were too scared to actually stand up to the worst Dad in the world, and hid behind some bullshit excuse of me being safer in jail than on the streets."

"Can you please let me-"

"Let Dad know that he gets a one finger salute from me." Duncan hung up the phone, gave it to Zoey, and took a breath. "Man that felt good!"

"Dude! You just threw away your chance to get back to living with your family again!" Mike yelled.

"It was clear that it wasn't going well. Until my mom actually grows a spine, Dad's not letting me back in the house."

"Well yeah, but..."

"Mike. Duncan isn't obligated to forgive his family for what they did." Mike and Zoey turned to the stairs and saw Gwen come down. "I think it was uncalled for to berate his mom like that, but if he doesn't want to return to them, he doesn't have to. And like he said, it wasn't working anyway."

"Gwen does have a point." Zoey said.

"I guess...but we have less than 4 days to find Duncan a job and a place to stay. And we haven't made any progress in either of those things!" Mike pointed out.

Zoey turned to Duncan. "Are you sure you're completely broke? You got award money after winning Season 2 of Total Drama didn't you?"

Duncan shook his head. "Spent almost all of it. There's only a few grand left, and that's tucked away at home." Duncan let out a chuckle. "It's funny. Other than Mike, I'm the only winner of Total Drama to actually keep the award money, but now I can barely even buy myself lunch" Duncan turned to Zoey and Mike. "Sorry for snapping at you two by the way. Just needed to let out some anger." Duncan turned around and started heading towards the door. "Anyway, I'm gonna head to the mall. You still coming Gwen?"

"Yeah. Go on ahead, I'll catch up." Gwen answered. Duncan headed outside. Gwen turned to Mike and Zoey afterwards. "Hey Zoey...I think you're gonna want to book another session with Dawn. I think Duncan still could use some help."

"I want to, but...I dunno. Duncan got really upset at me and Mike when he found out we were talking to his mom remember? Maybe Duncan just needs some space." Zoey replied. She looked down on the ground sadly.

"Maybe...but I don't think Duncan had any hard feelings towards you guys. He just got angry at his parents, and took a bit of it on you guys."

Zoey thought back to last night, when a drunken Duncan openly thanked Zoey for what she and Mike were doing for him. He didn't seem to remember it, as Zoey predicted. But it did let Zoey know that he truly did appreciate what they were doing. "I think you're right. Thanks Gwen." She and Gwen hugged. "Though just to be on the safe side, we should probably let Duncan know about it instead of dropping another surprise session on him aagin."

Gwen smiled. "I'll be sure to let him know when I catch up to him." Gwen broke the hug. "Still...I think I found a way we can at least solve the issue of Duncan being homeless."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I never, NEVER thought I'd offer this. But...maybe I could convince my mom to let Duncan stay at my place."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

"Well, here we are." Duncan said. He and Gwen arrived at the mall. Other than occasionally talking about old times on the show, the walk was mostly quiet. Duncan didn't really have much to say, and Gwen was still thinking about whether now would be a good time to offer Duncan a place to stay or not.

"Cool." Gwen said. "So Duncan, have you thought on what job you'll try to apply for?"

"Like I said before, most places I've been going to have been jobs that anyone with half a brain could do." Duncan and Gwen entered the main entrance.

"And that's why they keep turning you down. You don't offer enough that they couldn't find in someone else to view it as outweighing what you did to Chris' mansion." Gwen replied. "You'll need to find a job that you'll have a lot of skill in."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that back at Mike's house." As Duncan and Gwen were walking through the mall, a couple people were staring at them. Probably just more fans who think simply hanging out is a sign that Duncan and Gwen are dating.

"So, to get an idea of places to look for, what skills do you have that aren't illegal?" Gwen asked.

"Whittling, auto repair, and while I'm no Trent, I'm pretty good with the guitar."

"Huh..." Gwen started to slow down a bit and rubbed her arm awkwardly.

Duncan stopped walking. "Something up Gwen?"

Gwen stopped walking as well. "I guess you mentioning Trent just got me thinking."

"Thinking about what? Getting back together with him?"

"No...it's more that I guess his worries back in Season 2 proved to be kinda justified after all."

"Huh?"

"When he was worried that he'd lose me to you. Obviously you weren't the reason I had in mind when I dumped him and all, but still...he started to become obsessed and threw challenges for me because he was afraid of losing me, and for his worries to come...it makes me feel guilty, you know?"

"Psst. You think Duncan and Gwen are gonna get back together?" A fan whispered.

"Please. You SAW how terrible a couple they were back in All-Stars. Duncan's lucky that Gwen even accepted him as a friend again.

Duncan felt a prickle of annoyance at the fan gossip before putting a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Hey. You couldn't have known we'd become a thing back then. We didn't even start to like each other in that way until after Season 2. And Trent himself said it wasn't your fault back in one of the Aftermath's, didn't he?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"Gwen. Why are you letting this drag you down again? You moved past the Trent thing, and so has he."

"It's just that...it's because the incident with Trent is when my life became a drama-filled mess. I'm not gonna pretend like the show wasn't crappy before, but after I broke up with Trent, it was the start of what felt like half the whole world being against me. Fans and contestants of the show alike were constantly giving me grief about what happened. Then after Season 2, that Gwuncan vs Duncney crap started to pick up steam, and after we kissed in Season 3, basically exploded. Not a week has gone by with people either yelling at me for kissing you behind Courtney's back, what happened with Trent, or what happened with you back in All-Stars." Gwen wiped some tears from her eyes. "I know I made mistakes, but being reminded and hated about it day in and day out was killing me!"

"Whoa...is Gwen ok?" A fan asked.

"This would be the perfect time for Duncan to kiss her to make her feel better." Another said.

"HEY!" Duncan yelled. "In case you didn't notice, you guys getting involved in her personal life is a major reason why she's feeling this way! Buzz off!"

"It's fine Duncan." Gwen said.

Duncan was pretty surprised by this. "You sure?" Though he noticed that a good amount of fans were starting to scatter.

Gwen took a few breaths. "Yeah. Sorry about that tangent."

"It's fine. Sometimes you gotta let out steam." Duncan and Gwen stood in silence for a little while. "So...I take it dating me was serving as a reminder of all that, huh?"

Gwen widened her eyes, before looking at the ground, ashamed. "I never thought about that, but...yeah. The shippers, trying to make things right with Courtney...it was so much stress, and being with you served as a reminder of everything that was going on. I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault, but I treated you like crap."

"I told you Gwen, it's fine. Besides, we've been over this last night. We both did our fair share of neglecting back in All-Stars. I'm not exactly blameless" Duncan took a look at Gwen. She looked like she really needed some comfort right now. Of all times for there to be fans watching. "Um...do you need a hug or-"

Gwen immediately hugged Duncan. "Thank you..."

"Yeah..." Duncan returned the hug. He knew he'd be kicking himself later for coming off as soft, but for now, Gwen needed support. "No problem."

A few minutes passed before Gwen broke the hug. "Man...I feel like a mountain's been lifted off me!"

"And you didn't even need my help. Looks like Duncan's not too bad a therapist himself." A familiar voice said. Duncan and Gwen turned around and saw that Dawn was standing next to them.

"What the-?!" Duncan yelled.

"How long have you...?" Gwen began to ask.

"Since after Duncan caused most of the onlookers to leave." Dawn answered. She walked up to the two. "Gwen, I'm happy to let you know that you aura's a clear midnight blue. You're not completely over everything what happened, but your soul is no longer in conflict with itself. You finally obtained closure."

Gwen smiled at Dawn. "I have to say, when I first met you, I thought you were nuts. But you've been a ton of help over the past few days Dawn." Gwen offered a hand. "Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome." Dawn shook Gwen's hand. "By the way, wasn't there something you wanted to let Duncan know?"

"Oh, right! Duncan, get out your phone." Gwen got out her phone and started texting.

Duncan took out his phone, and took a look at his messages.

_Texting instead of speaking so that fans don't overhear and get the wrong idea. _

_Wanna crash at my place until you get back on your feet? _

"Wait...for real?" Duncan asked.

Gwen nodded. "The least I could do for a friend, right?"

Duncan widened his eyes before smiling. "Yeah. I'll totally take up that offer." Duncan offered a fistbump, which Gwen accepted.

"Sweet. I'll call my Mom to let her know if she's cool with it. Then we can get start looking for a job for you. I'll be back here soon." Gwen dialed some numbers on her phone, and started to walk a bit away. "Hey Mom. I have a question?"

"You know moonchild, I gotta second Gwen on this. You've been a ton of help."

"Thank you. Though being honest, I'm surprised you feel that way."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Why's that? Thanks to you, I got out of the slammer, made things right with Gwen and Courtney, and if Gwen's mon says yes, I'll have a place to stay. Thing are going better than ever for me."

"True, there have been a large amount of benefits. But for as many mends as there's been to your aura, there's been twice as many fractures." Dawn put a hand on Duncan's shoulder. "You might not realize it Duncan. But these past few days, your aura has been more miserable than it's ever been in your life."

* * *

"Seriously? No bullshiting?" Duncan asked the man over the phone. He was back at Mike's house, Mike, Zoey, Gwen, Courtney, and Cameron all in the house as well.

"Yeah. You'll start off by working on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 AM to 6 PM." The man answered.

"Sweet! I'm so happy right now! I'll be there!" Duncan hung up. "

"You got a job? Cameron asked.

"Yup. He said I work four times a week, 8 hours a day. My first shift is tomorrow on Monday."

"What was the place?" Mike asked.

"Some woodworking shop in the mall." Gwen answered. "Apparently, the time he spent whittling in prison isn't only good for making weapons."

"I gave the owner my phone number, and it looks like my skills outweigh my criminal record to him. I got the job! This is awesome!" Duncan cheered.

"This is great!" Zoey cheered.

"And your mom said yes to Duncan moving in with you, right?" Mike asked.

"Starting the day he works anyway since that's the day Duncan starts working." Gwen answered.

"Well that's not too big an issue. Duncan can sleep another night here, but tomorrow after work, move into Gwen's place." Courtney said.

"Looks like things are starting to go my way!" Duncan stated. "I haven't been this happy in years!"

Zoey raised an eyebrow at this statement.

Courtney stood up from the couch. "Congratulations Duncan. Maybe if there's time, we can celberate tomorrow before I leave on Wednesday. Right now, I gotta have Mike drop me off at my hotel."

"And I should drop Cameron back off at his house too." Mike said.

"Again, thanks for inviting me." Cameron told Mike and Zoey.

Courtney walked up to Duncan. "I never thought I'd be happy that something good would be happening to you."

"Yeah. Been a weird couple of days, huh?"

Courtney gave Duncan a hug. "Sorry for all the times I treated you like crap back in Total Drama."

"It's all good Court. I'm just happy that things are better now." Duncan broke the hug, and turned to Gwen. "Sure you'll be able to resist my charm tomorrow?"

Gwen rolled her eyes, but smiled. "I'll try my best." Gwen walked out of the door, Courtney, Mike, and Cameron following.

"Have a nice night guys!" Zoey waved.

The four waved back before Courtney and Cameron went with Mike to his car while Gwen went inside her car before both of the vehicles drove off.

"Man, I got out of prison, made up with Courtney and Gwen, found a place to stay, and a job to make money. Things are going great!" Duncan yelled.

"...It's ok to be sad Duncan." Zoey said.

Duncan turned to Zoey. "What are you talking about Red?"

"You've been talking about how things are going good for you and how you're happy almost every sentence. It's like you're trying to convince yourself."

"Let me guess, Dawn told you about what she sensed my aura was like."

"No. But you just did. But if Dawn sensed the same thing, it makes me even more suspicious."

"Whatever. I'm just gonna kick back, relax, and watch some movies to celebrate." Duncan sat on the couch, and grabbed the remote.

"Duncan, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But you don't have to lie about how you're feeling." Zoey sat down next to him.

"Why would I lie about it?" Duncan turned on the tv and started flipping through channels.

"Because you don't want to look soft."

"What, has Dawn been teaching you how to read auras too?"

"I've watched the show you know."

Duncan stopped flipping through channels, and turned off the TV. "Ok, sure. I don't want to look soft. But that has nothing to do with this. Everything's going great! Why would I be sad right now?"

"You got kicked out of-"

"And I got a new place to stay! I don't need my parents! They abandoned me, so I told them off! And I'm gonna start staying with Gwen tomorrow! Why would that make me miserable?"

"Maybe you could talk with Dawn about it some-"

Duncan stood up. "I'm heading to bed early."

Zoey sighed. "Alright. I'm not gonna try to set up a session behind your back again."

"Thanks." Duncan walked off.

* * *

Zoey woke up at the sound of some footsteps, rubbing her eyes. It was well past midnight. "Mph. Mike?" Zoey turned to the young man in the same bed as her. Mike was in his pajamas, sleeping like a log. "...Then what was that noise?"

Zoey quietly got out of bed, and walked out of Mike's bedroom. She saw a figure sitting on the couch downstairs. "Duncan?" Zoey started walking down the stairs.

"You heard me come down?" Duncan asked, not even turning to face her.

"Yeah. You ok?"

"...No."

Zoey sat down next to Duncan. "Look, if you need someone to talk to, I'm right here."

"...Dawn was right. I'm more miserable than ever." He turned to face Zoey. She noticed that he was fighting back the urge to cry. "I don't get it. I made up with Gwen and Courtney, I found a place to stay, I got a job...why am I so miserable?"

"I don't know." Zoey answered. She held one of Duncan's hands with both of hers. "But I promise you, until I leave Windsor, I'll be willing to help you in anyway I can."

"Damnit...I feel so lame right now." Duncan started to rub tears out of his eyes. "Guess I'll let you set me up with another session with Dawna Lovegood to figure this out."

Zoey hugged Duncan. "It's ok Duncan. You don't have to deal with this alone."

Duncan didn't know why he allowed himself to come off as so weak. But he let himself cry softly. As he was crying while being held by Zoey, he ironically started to feel a little bit better. Zoey might have had some trick with people, or it could have been because Duncan was letting out the sorrow he's been bottling in for months. But maybe it wouldn't kill him to let out his soft side once in a blue moon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"I don't get it." Duncan said. He was sitting in Mike's couch, lying on his back. It was Monday evening. He just came back from his first shift at work. "I made up with Gwen and Court. Hell, I played some arcade games with Courtney at the mall today when I finished my shift. But these past few days, I've been feeling more miserable than ever before.

Dawn was sitting on a chair in lotus position. Zoey and Mike invited her into Mike's house for Duncan's session. Duncan wanted this to be private, so Zoey and Mike were inside Mike's bedroom. "As I've told you. Emotions are complex things. It's common to not realize what you feel. And that includes not knowing why you feel that way." Dawn replied.

"So what? I'm supposed to just deal with the fact that I'll never figure this out?"

"No. I'm here to help you realize why you're feeling this way. And one of the reasons, I think you already know yourself."

Duncan rose his head up in curiosity. "ONE OF the reasons?"

Dawn nodded. "I sense multiple causes for your sorrow. But one of them is much more obvious than the others."

"Well can you tell me what it is then? 'Cause I got nothing."

"Duncan. If I were to tell you without your realizing it yourself, you'd simply write off what I say again."

Duncan sighed. "Alright. You got a point there."

"Now think. Were there any moments after you mended your bonds with Courtney and Gwen that you felt extreme levels of emotion."

Duncan clenched his fist. "Yeah...when I found out my mom was on the phne."

Dawn nodded. "So, what made you so angry at your mother?"

"What do you think? She and Dad lied to me for 8 months, acting as if it was too expensive to bail me out when my bail was only $500. Now I can't even go back to own house anymore!"

"But you got out, and found a place to stay with Gwen's house. So does it even matter?"

"What are you talking about? Of course it matters! They abandoned me! They made me think I could rely on them, but they completely abandoned me!"

Duncan started to pant a bit after his tirade. Dawn said nothing for a little while. "So, do you realize something?" Dawn asked.

"You mean that I got crappy folks?"

"You said it yourself. You were abandoned Duncan. Betrayed. By your own parents no less."

Duncan realized that Dawn's question was just to get him to realize something. "You're right. I say that it doesn't bother me, but it does." Duncan went back to lying on the couch. "I can't believe they would just disown me like that. I know I was kinda the black sheep of the family, but it's not like I killed anybody. I wasn't a kidnapper. I didn't swipe all of my dad's dumb hairpieces, lied to random strangers about them being pets, and got hundreds of dollars by selling them."

"...You absolutely did that last one, didn't you?"

"Haha! Yeah. Still have a soft spot for that crime."

"So, do you stop denying it?"

"...Yeah. I admit it. I'm sad that my parents abandoned me."

Dawn smiled. "Your soul feels a little bit lighter, doesn't it?"

"Yeah...and honestly, I'm surprised I know what you're talking about."

"Now, we need to find out what else is causing you sorrow."

"Well this time, I'm being honest when I say that I don't know." Duncan said.

"I know. And I'll help you discover it. Now, tell me. What do you think about moving in with Gwen?"

"Huh? Well, I'm looking forward to it. For starters, I'll have a roof over my head by the time I have to leave Mike's house, but Gwen's also a really cool person. She's witty, cool, and a great person to talk about horror movies with."

"Hmm. If you don't mind me asking, when you were dating Gwen, how was the relationship compared to when you dated Courtney?"

"It was far less stressful, that's for sure. With Court, I had to constantly walk on eggshells not to set her off. Doesn't help that she made entire rules for how our relationship would be, then ANOTHER list of rules to try and change my entire identity."

"So, your relationship with Gwen was better?"

"That's what I thought." Duncan rose back up. "...Until All-Stars happened."

Dawn sensed something shift within Duncan's aura. "Go on." Dawn said.

"Gwen and I both treated each other like afterthoughts. Me and Courtney were at least upfront about how annoying we found each other. But neither me or Gwen thought about how we were neglecting each other, and then-" Duncan stopped himself. "...Then I screwed up by trying to get Courtney's attention."

"All the way back during my first session with you, I brought up how you crave attention before you stormed off. Is it fine with you if we go back to that topic?"

Duncan was silent for a while. "Go for it." Duncan finally said.

Dawn nodded before getting out of lotus position. "Now, for a little while back in All-Stars, you were trying to get Courtney's attention because she was ignoring you, leading Gwen to feel neglected, and eventually, break up with you. When Courtney started bonding with Scott, you said you weren't bothered, but your eye was twitching"

"Yeah. The person who I was trying to get the attention of moved on, and I was too petty to accept that. I didn't even want to date Courtney back then, I just wanted attention. God, how pathetic."

"However, when Gwen broke up with you, you thought it was as a result of going soft, and stopped caring so much about getting Courtney's attention, or her growing relationship with Scott. You were far more focused on trying to look like a villain."

"Huh. Never thought about it, but you're right. What about it?"

"What if the fact that your image as a bad boy being the latest thing you lost caused you to forget about the previous thing you lost."

Duncan widened his eyes. "I get it now. It wasn't just that I wanted attention. It was because I used to have her, but lost her. I obsessed over it before I immediately switched focus on the latest thing I lost."

Dawn stood up. "Yes, because you crave things that you lost. Even if you're fine without it, such as no longer being with Courtney."

Duncan took a breath. "So, you think that no longer having trust in my folks is why I'm feeling so down?"

Dawn shook her head. "We've already went over that. No, the other thing that's making you miserable is something that you lost but haven't yet confronted. Something that you're reminded of constantly." Dawn sat on the couch next to Duncan, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know that this might be hard for you. But think. Think about the most common annoyance you've experienced the past few days."

Duncan thought back. There was a ton of stuff that annoyed him the past couple days, but the most common one? The fans, easily. From the gossipers about which girlfriend he was better off with, to the people interupting his meal with Courtney, Mike, and Zoey to talk about who he should date to his face, to those anooying fans at the mall reminding him about how Duncan screwed up with Gwen. Yeah, because he constantly needed that to hang over his head. God, moving in with Gwen would probably just keep reminding him of his screw-up.

...Wait a second.

"I don't want to move in with Gwen." Duncan realized. "I mean, I'm absolutely fine with still being friends with her and everything, but I don't want to be reminded 24/7 about how I ruined things with her." Duncan hung his head down. "It's a constant reminder of how much of a tool to her I was back in All-Stars. And I can't stand it."

Dawn took her hand off Duncan's shoulder and nodded. "I'm glad you realized it Duncan."

"Fat lot of good that does me. She's the only place I have to stay right now. So what am I supposed to do?"

Dawn stood up "Above all else, what you need to do is stop being afraid of looking vulnerable." Dawn walked out of the house.

Duncan took a look at the phone and sighed. "Can't believe I'm doing this."

* * *

"He still hasn't moved in yet?" Courtney asked. She was in the shotgun seat of Gwen's car, being driven in the evening.

"No. He started working yesterday, mom's condition for him to move in, but he didn't come to the house yesterday OR today." Gwen answered.

"Maybe he's just waiting until he has to leave Mike's?" Courtney suggested.

"Maybe...but I called Zoey to see if Duncan wanted to come drop you off today. Zoey said Duncan had something important to do. It can't be his job since Duncan doesn't even work on Tuesdays. She said the same thing when I called her yesterday too"

"Huh. Yesterday when I challenged Duncan to a rematch at the arcade after his shift was over, he certainly had time for it. Sounds like something's up."

Gwen nodded. "I think he's trying to avoid me."

"But...why? You made up. And he was more than happy to come move into your place."

"I'm not sure. Maybe if I can talk with him about it, I can find out."

The two continued the drive in silence for a while. "I still can't believe I lost to him again at the arcade. I practiced to make sure I'd even the score!" Courtney complained.

Gwen chuckled. Courtney's gotten a bit better with how much of a sore loser she is, but old habits die hard. Eventually, they arrived at an airport. "Well, here we are Courtney."

The two got out of the car, Courtney opening the trunk to get out her luggage. "Thanks for everything Gwen. Hanging out with you again has been a great way to end off my Spring Break." Courtney started to turn to the entrance of the airport.

Gwen walked to the front of her car. "No problem Courtney. Hopefully we can hang out again some-"

"What the?!" Courtney interrupted.

Gwen turned to the direction Courtney was facing. "What's the matt-" Gwen stopped talking. Exiting the airport were Duncan and Zoey, holding hands. Duncan was taking a few breaths. "Wait, Duncan and Zoey are here?" Gwen asked.

"Hey!" Courtney called out in annouance.

Duncan and Zoey turned, and saw the two. "Gwen! Courtney! I'm so glad you two came!" Zoey said. She let go of Duncan's hand, and the two walked towards them.

"Don't you think it's unfair to Mike for you to be doing this?" Courtney asked.

Zoey looked confused. Duncan raised an eyebrow, before smiling. "I didn't know you would care. We're broken up after all."

Courtney turned to Duncan. "And you! I thought you felt bad for what you did in World Tour! But all that's changed is being the backstabbing friend instead of the cheater!"

"Umm...Mike's inside the airport. He saw us walk out." Zoey replied.

"...Huh?" Courtney asked.

From the airport entrance, Mike walked out, wheeling some luggage. "Alright, they should be done arguing in a couple minutes." Mike put the luggage near Duncan before wrapping his arm around Zoey. "Good luck man." He then noticed Courtney and Gwen. "Oh hey! Looks like Dawn was right about the timing after all."

"Wait...so you knew they were holding hands?" Courtney asked.

"Huh? Well, yeah. Duncan was feeling stressed out, so Zoey was comforting him."

"This is why you shouldn't jump to conclusions Courtney." Gwen said, though she was hiding her relief.

Duncan started laughing. "Ah man. I needed that."

Courtney crossed her arms. "Did you bring Zoey here just to mess with us Duncan?" Courtney asked.

Duncan's smile faded somewhat. "No. That was a bonus. Honestly, I wasn't sure if you were coming at all."

"I was just giving Duncan support ." Zoey answered.

Gwen and Courtney took abother look at the luggage Mike brought before realizing what was going on. "Duncan...you're meeting with your parents, aren't you?" Gwen asked.

Duncan sighed while rubbing his head. "Yeah...Dawn and Zoey got me to stop worrying too much about looking weak, so I made the first move."

On cue, two adults walked out of the airport entrance and headed towards the group. A woman with short blonde hair and a red sweater, along with a dark-haired man wearing a green sweater and glasses. The hair was an obvious toupee In addition, the man was carrying a briefcase with him.

"Mom. Dad." Duncan said when they arrived. He was glaring at his father.

"Duncan." Duncan's father sternly replied.

There was a long period of silence, making it especially awkward for Mike, Zoey, Gwen, and Courtney. You could cut the tension with a knife.

Soon, the mother ran towards Duncan and gave him a hug, to Duncan's surprise. He didn't hug back, but he didn't try to shake her off either. "Duncan. I'm sorry. I should have told you the truth."

"Yeah...you should have." Duncan responded. He then slowly returned the hug.

"Hmph. Funny way to speak to your mother considering how she's the only reason you have a CHANCE at surviving without us." Duncan's dad said.

Duncan's mom broke the hug, and turned to her husband. "You promised you wouldn't be like this!"

"Kyla, I said that so long as he was respectful, I'd be civil. And he shown that he still doesn't know the first thing about respect in less than a minute."

"All I did was say that she should have told me the truth. But hey, if you want actual disrespect, I'd be more than happy to give it." Duncan said.

"Should...should we be here?" Mike whispered to the other three.

"We should. Duncan wanted us here." Zoey answered.

Duncan's dad gave the briefcase to Kyla. "We aren't staying for long by the way." He told Duncan. "Our flight back home leaves tomorrow in the morning."

Duncan's mom, Kyla, took the briefcase from the dad and turned back to Duncan. "Duncan, I want you to know that I'm truly sorry for what I did. I thought you being in prison would be safer for you so that you would have a place to stay. But it was wrong of me to lie to you and betray your trust." She held out the briefcase to Duncan. "Here."

Duncan took the briefcase. "This is my leftover winnings from Action, right? I think I had about $7000 left."

"Yes. But your brothers and I chipped in as well. There's about $25,000 total in here. But you have to be responsible with this. Find an apartment, and budget for essentials first."

Duncan was surprised. He thought they would simply deliver the leftover winnings, but they gave him more than 3 times that. "...Thanks."

"Don't expect us to save your skin if you spend it recklessly and wind up broke." Duncan's dad said.

"Right, because I wanna talk with you as much as humanly possible." Duncan shot back.

"Wait, back up a bit." Gwen said. It felt weird to speak up when this didn't involve her, but something wasn't right. "Find an apartment? Duncan, I thought you were gonna move in to my place."

"Yeah...I had a session with Dawn, and she told me that my aura desired confidence. Something about proving that I can make it out in the world."

Zoey was surprised about Duncan's lie, but decided not to speak up. If Duncan wanted Gwen and Courtney to know, he would have told them the truth.

"Oh." Gwen said.

"Don't be disappointed. Now you don't have to worry about him stealing your valuables." Duncan's dad said.

"Lyon!" Kyla yelled.

Gwen, Courtney, Mike, and Zoey started to get annoyed. "So why didn't YOU help to raise money for your own son?" Courtney asked Duncan's dad.

"Like I'm going to waste money on a delinquent who'll probably blow it all on illegal fireworks." The dad responded. Duncan ignored his dad and opened up the suitcase.

"Geez, with a dad like you, it's no wonder Duncan turned out the way he did." Gwen said.

"Please! Nelson and Carter were troublemakers like their younger brother when they were young, but they shaped up and became model students at the police academy." Lyon turned back to Duncan. "But you on the other hand would deliberately do what you knew was the wrong thing just to get attention. And we all know how that turned out."

"Hey! Duncan found a job, and turned down the opportunity to have Gwen's mom provide for him." Zoey pointed out.

"And he's only caused minor annoyances at worst when he stayed at my place." Mike added.

"You don't know him like I do. I've tried for 19 years to teach Duncan responsibility, but he would always ignore me. If you want to try be my guest!" Duncan's dad, Lyon, replied.

Duncan was still looking through the suitcase. "There's 35,000 dollars in here." Duncan said.

"Huh?" Kyla reacted.

"Yeah. You were 10,000 dollars off mom." Duncan stated.

Everyone turned to Lyon. "What? Your mother just forgot to count a few stacks, that's all."

Duncan and Kyla both smirked at Lyon. "Guess you have some faith in Duncan after all." Duncan's mom said

Lyon grumbled a bit before sighing. "Fine. I snuck in an extra 10 grand for you."

"And?" Kyla teased.

"And...I'm sorry for not being there for you son. If you ever need shelter over your head...you can call us."

Everyone was taken aback by this. Duncan started to walk up towards his father. Courtney, Zoey, Mike, Gwen, and Kyla all smiled.

"Please. You still think I cared about that? When have you EVER been there for me? Getting abandoned by you was just another square on my 'shitty dad' bingo chart" Duncan said. "And trust me, living away from you would be a REWARD."

"You ungrateful little brat!" Lyon yelled. "Who do you think bailed you out for the majority of the times you got in juvie? Who do you think found a lawyer who actually wanted to defend you?! And when I throw in momey to help you out, THIS is how you repay me?!" Things started to get very awkward for the group.

"Who said I wanted what you guys added?! I only asked for the 7 grand I left at home! You can take the rest back!"

"Like we're gonna take away the only chance you have of survival from you!"

"Oh yeah, cause you've been SO caring of me! I guess I should forget all the times YOU were the one to arrest me? Or when you left me in prison? Or when you tried to tried to hide my invintation to the thanksgiving dinner grandpa was hosting?"

"You don't even LIKE my father! And those other two times, I was teaching you how your actions had consequences!"

"Oh, my bad! Thank you dad! Thank you for making my life a living hell!"

Kyla turned to the others, tearing up in happiness. "This is their friendliest interaction in over 5 years."

"You caused NOTHING but problems since the moment you were born!" Lyon yelled.

"Well your problems are over old man, cause I'm out of here!" Duncan responded.

"...Need some help with your luggage Courtney?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah, thanks Zoey." Courtney said.

"I'll see you off inside." Gwen said. Soon, all of them went inside the airport, leaving Duncan and his father to their argument.

* * *

"Urghhhhh!" Duncan was carrying a TV inside his apartment. Eventually, he set it down on the stand.

"Whew. Done!" Duncan decided to sit down on the couch. It's been a little over 3 weeks since he got the apartment, and only now did he finish furnishing it. He thought about hiring movers several times during the past few weeks, but he reminded himself to save his money. With all the bills, food, and rent he would need to buy, he couldn't afford spending recklessly. Man. Being responsible was a pain.

"Well, might as well let Geoff know." Duncan got out his phone, and started texting.

_Duncan: I finished my shift, and I finished moving into my place. Finally able to party._

_Geoff: Sweet! You don't work tomorrow right? So, is tonight good for a party?_

_Duncan: Totally. Should I go to Toronto, or you come to Windsor?_

_Geoff: Oh, me and DJ are already in Windsor. It's a good thing you're good for tonight, or we would have came for nothing, lol. Party'll start in 2 hours!_

Duncan let out a chuckle. He never thought about it before, but he missed that knucklehead. It was going to be great o see him and DJ again. Last time he saw either of them was back when Chris made them all think they were competing in Season 4.

_Duncan: Text me the directions, and I'll be there._

Duncan turned on the TV and started watching a horror movie. Once again, things were going great. He got closure with his parents, he had a place to stay, and while he didn't have the most stable job, it was still enough to get by at the moment. Still, there was something bothering him. He just didn't quite know what it was.

About an hour later, he heard a knock on the door. "Wonder who that is." Duncan turned off the TV, walked up to the door and opened it, revealing a familiar face.

"You've been avoiding me, haven't you Duncan?" Gwen asked with a frown. She walked inside the apartment.

"Come on in I guess." Duncan closed the door.

"We haven't seen each other since we saw off Zoey during the end of her Spring Break. Everytime I text you, you tell me that you're too busy even when you don't have a shift. Also, I had a session with Dawn last week, and I found out that the reason you decided to live on your own was specifically so that you wouldn't move in to my place."

"Wait, she told you that?"

"No. You did."

Duncan facepalmed. He fell for that hook line and sinker.

Gwen sat on the couch and crossed her arms. "What's up with you? You've been acting seriously weird ever since we went to the bar. I thought it was just about your parents, but you're going out of your way to avoid seeing me."

Duncan said nothing.

"Ugh. Forget it." Gwen stood up and started to walk towards the door. "You know, I thought we were cool with each other again, but I guess I was wrong."

"I didn't want to be constantly reminded of how I screwed up."

Gwen stopped walking and turned back to Duncan. "Huh?"

"Ever since that first session we had with Dawn, being reminded of what happened was like a punch in the face. I obsessed over getting attention, and it led to us being on bad terms. It led to my Dad temporarily disowning me. It led to my ass getting thrown in jail. And thinking about what I was like made me feel like complete crap." Duncan kicked the wall. "I want to be friends with you again, ok? I really do. You're the coolest person I ever met on Total Drama! But being reminded of how terrible things went is one of the biggest pains I ever had to deal with!"

Gwen was taken aback by this. "I get it...it's like how I felt when we were dating back in All-Stars. I'm a constant reminder of things you regret, huh?"

"...Yeah. I'm sorry."

Gwen said nothing for a while. Then, she punched Duncan in the shoulder

"Hey! What was that for?" Duncan started rubbing his shoulder.

You idiot." She chuckled. "You should have just told me and I would have given you some space."

Duncan widened his eyes before smiling. "Like you're on to talk. Weren't you feeling the exact same way?"

"Yeah, and you were there when I started to feel better after I got it off my chest. What's your excuse for not doing the same thing?" Duncan laughed. She got him there. "Look Duncan, I get needing some space so that you aren't constantly reminded of bad times. But we're friends, right? We shouldn't cut each other off entirely. That'll make you miserable too."

"I know, I know. Guess I just needed a wake up call." Duncan got a ringing on his phone. "Hey." Duncan shown Gwen a text message on his phone. "Geoff just texted me the directions of a party he's hosting. Wanna come with?"

Gwen smiled. "Totally." She and Duncan high fived before they started to walk out of the building, and entered Gwen's car.

"Good thing you came. I still don't have a car yet." Duncan said.

"Don't expect me to be your personal chauffeur."

"Of course not. I have Mike for that." Duncan and Gwen both started laughing.

As Gwen started to drive towards Geoff's party, she thought of her session with Dawn from last week.

* * *

_"Your feelings for Duncan...they've reemerged, haven't they?" Dawn asked._

_Gwen groaned. "Yeah...I don't know why. We were a terrible couple. But with how I felt when he comforted me back in the mall, and how disappointed I was when it turned out he wasn't moving in...I don't think I can write them off. Doesn't help that he's been avoiding me for the past two weeks."_

_Dawn nodded. "I can tell you're in pain. And I won't tell you not to pursue your feelings for him. But Duncan needs to confront the last cause of his sorrow before your bonds can be completely mended."_

* * *

Gwen decided not to tell Duncan how she felt. Keeping it in would suck, it really would. But if simply staying at her place caused too much stress for Duncan, then asking him out absolutely would make things worse for him. She decided to wait. Besides, just seeing Duncan look truly happy was more than good enough.

Duncan looked out at the window. Getting his issues off his chest was a massive help for him. He knew that there would still be struggles living on his own. But for the first time in a long while, Duncan felt truly relaxed.


End file.
